Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Three
by ahowell1993
Summary: Sequel to LTATP:B1 and LTATP:B2. Spencer is now back at work since the births of the Reid twins Albert and Ava. Now Spencer and Olivia get to explore the next two years as parents of three kids as Spencer has to juggle being a profiler, a husband, and a father while having three generations of Reids living under the same roof. Will take place during seasons 9 and 10.
1. Back to Work

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Here is the first chapter of the sequel to Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Two. So if you haven't read Love Takes Away the Pain: Book One (My first Spencer and Olivia story) I highly recommend that you go back and read the first two stories Love Takes Away the Pain: Book One and its sequel Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Two before starting this story._

 _I thought that I should start the sequel with Spencer getting a haircut since his hair was short again in the beginning of season 9, and I thought that he would get his hair cut before his first day back at work while Olivia and Piper also get their hair cut._

 _Albert and Ava are now six weeks old and Piper's over a week away from turning 13 months old._

* * *

Spencer was sitting in the barber chair at Cost Cutters and the barber looked at him.

"What would you like done this time, Dr. Reid?" asked the barber.

Spencer started explaining the haircut he wanted while motioning to which areas he doesn't want cut too short and when he was finished, Olivia looked at her husband.

"I think I already like the haircut you're planning on getting." grinned Olivia, knowing that she will still be able to grab hold of her husband's hair when they have mommy and daddy time for the first time in a few days if she gets the all clear.

A few minutes later Spencer had the cape draped over him while Olivia sat in a nearby chair with Piper on her lap as the barber grabbed an electronic razor and started buzzing the areas that Spencer wanted him to buzz while trimming the area that he wanted to keep a bit long.

"Daddy?" asked Piper as she watched her barber shave parts of her daddy's hair off.

"Daddy's getting his hair cut." said Olivia.

As soon as the barber was done, Olivia let out a loud wolf whistle and the barber chuckled at her antics as Spencer's face heated up while he got out of the chair, scooped Piper up and settled her on his hip.

"Who's next?" asked the barber.

"How about I go next." said Olivia.

"What would you like done with your hair Mrs. Reid?" asked the barber.

"Shoulder length this time, please." said Olivia.

After Olivia's hair was cut, Spencer placed Piper in the booster seat that the barber brought out for her.

"What type of hair cut would you like for Piper?" asked the barber as he assessed Piper's thick, curly hair that had grown a little bit since he trimmed it when Piper was eight months old.

"Just a trim because I am starting to put her hair in pigtails during the day." said Olivia.

The barber nodded before he started to trim Piper's hair.

* * *

The next morning, Spencer groaned when his alarm clock went off. He grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and put them on.

"Excited about going back to work today?" asked Olivia.

"It was hard going back to work after Piper's birth, but now it's going to be much harder since I have three kids." said Spencer as he got out of bed and grabbed the clothing that he laid out the night before.

"I know it will be, but we can continue the system that we created after Piper's birth so Albert and Ava still hear your voice when you're not home." said Olivia.

15 minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, and Piper were sitting on a stool around the breakfast island or in Piper's case, a high chair, eating breakfast while Albert and Ava were in their swings and William looked at his son who was wearing black slacks, a light gray dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a red tie with small white polka dots.

"You nervous about returning to work today?" asked William.

"Knowing Hotch, he's going to have me take it easy on my first case back like he had me do after Piper's birth." said Spencer.

"What did he have you do?" asked William.

"Work on the geographical profile, interview families, head to the medical examiner's office." said Spencer as he took a sip of his orange juice.

After Spencer placed his empty plate in the sink, his phone rang and he saw that it was Hotch.

"Is there a case?" asked Spencer.

"Not yet, but I am wondering if you want a ride to work since I am leaving home now." said Hotch.

"A ride would be great." said Spencer.

"I will be there in 10 minutes." said Hotch.

"See you then." said Spencer before hanging up.

"A case?" asked Olivia.

"Hotch called to see if I wanted a ride, and I accepted his offer." said Spencer as he made sure that he had everything that he needs, including his lunch that was leftovers from the night before.

10 minutes later Spencer got into the passenger seat of Hotch's car, and Hotch took a look at his youngest agent.

"When did you get your haircut?" asked Hotch.

"Yesterday, and Olivia and Piper got their haircuts also." said Spencer.

"At least it's short again, and not in that boy band style." said Hotch.

"I assume that you're picking me up while the others prepare my welcome back party." said Spencer.

"You really are a genius." said Hotch.

"I overheard Garcia talking to JJ about throwing me a welcome back party when I was trying to calm a fussy Ava during Piper's party." said Spencer.

"Just act surprised." said Hotch.

"I'm already planning on it." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer exited the elevator with Hotch and shook his head as he saw his teammates gathered around his desk before making a beeline towards him.

"Welcome back, and I love your new haircut." said Garcia as she took in the appearance of Spencer's new haircut while JJ Alex, Morgan, and Rossi welcomed him back and commented about his haircut.

"When did you get your haircut?" asked JJ.

"Yesterday, and Olivia and Piper got their haircuts too." said Spencer.

"Have a picture?" asked Garcia.

Spencer pulled out his phone and showed his teammates the picture that the barber took of he, Olivia, and Piper together after they were finished causing JJ, Garcia, and Alex to coo when they saw Piper in the photo.

After Spencer spent a few minutes talking about the twins and Piper's development, Garcia's phone vibrated and she looked at her team.

"We have a case in Los Angeles." said Garcia as she headed to get everything ready.

"We will brief on the jet since we have a long flight, so wheels up in 20." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his phone and called Olivia while making sure that he has everything he needs.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Going to Los Angeles and I am heading to the jet in 20 minutes." said Spencer.

At that moment both Albert and Ava started crying in the background.

"Well, I will let you go so you and dad can tend to the twins." said Spencer

"You know the rules about staying safe." said Olivia.

"I know, and I love you, Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Spencer.

"What about me?" asked William.

"I guess I forgot to tell you that you're on speaker, Spencer." giggled Olivia.

"Love you too Dad, and I have to get going." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

Hotch looked at the text that Garcia sent him before looking at Alex, Rossi, Morgan, JJ, and Spencer.

"We are going to be working with Lieutenant Kim again." said Hotch as he started giving everyone their assignments before telling them to get some rest since there were two hours from landing.

Morgan looked at Spencer, who was putting his glasses into their case for safekeeping.

"Does Olivia know about the Lila Archer case?" asked Morgan.

"She knows, but right now I really need a nap." said Spencer as he stretched out on the long couch and was asleep within minutes.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer entered the LA Police Department with Hotch, and Lieutenant Owen Kim approached them both.

"Welcome back to the West coast, Agent Hotchner and Dr. Reid." said Lieutenant Kim as he shook hands with both agents before noticing Spencer's wedding band "I see that you got married since the last time I worked with you guys."

"Celebrating my two year wedding anniversary in September, and last month my wife and I celebrated my oldest child's first birthday." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and showed Lieutenant Kim the photo of him with his family "My wife and I welcomed twins nearly six weeks ago, and today is my first day back at work."

Lieutenant Kim looked at the photo before looking at Spencer.

"The baby girl on your lap is definitely a perfect mixture of you and your wife, and your son looks just like you while the younger baby girl looks like your wife." said Kim.

"Olivia was hoping that Piper would look just like me, but I am happy that my eldest has a perfect combination of my wife and me." said Spencer.

"What are the twins names?" asked Kim.

"Albert and Ava." said Spencer with a small smile on his face before getting started on the geographical profile.

* * *

That same evening Spencer was having a working dinner with his teammates and Lieutenant Kim when his cellphone rang and he quickly answered it when he saw it was Olivia.

"About to put the kids to bed?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, and when I told them that I was going to call their daddy, Piper got excited while the twins started kicking their legs." said Olivia as she looked at her three babies who were all in their pajamas.

"Please put them on." said Spencer.

Olivia put her phone on speaker.

"You're on speaker, and your dad is holding the twins right now." said Olivia.

"Hi daddy, and I luv you daddy." said Piper.

Spencer couldn't hold back the smile when he heard Piper's voice.

"Hi there Piper, and I love you too." said Spencer.

"Albert and Ava are just staring at the phone, but they smiled when they heard your voice." said Olivia.

"At least I didn't miss their first smiles a few days ago." smiled Spencer.

"Hey there, Spencer." said William.

"Hey, dad." said Spencer.

"Well Piper, Albert, and Ava are now asleep, and we are going to let you get back to work so we can get the kids to bed." said Olivia as she took one of the twins from her father in law who then got up, scooped up Piper and carried Piper and Ava upstairs while she carried Albert.

"I love you guys, and I will call you when I have a chance Livy." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

Three days later Spencer was packing up while his teammates went to arrest the unsub, and Parker Dunley entered the station.

"Spencer Reid is back in LA and he didn't even bother to call me." said Parker.

Spencer turned his head and looked at his former classmate as he placed his hand in his pocket to hide his wedding band.

"Maybe I wanted to dodge you from convincing me to come to the next high school reunion in June." said Spencer.

"So you got the invitation?" asked Parker.

Spencer nodded.

"It's the 20 year reunion, and you haven't shown up for one since graduating." said Parker.

"I'm grateful that both you and Ethan want me there, but there are a few reasons why I wouldn't be going. One, I don't know what my schedule would be like around the time of the reunion. Two, I will only go to Las Vegas to visit my family or for an occasional case before leaving Las Vegas. Finally, you and Ethan both remember how bad it was until I started coaching the basketball team." said Spencer.

"Ethan and I were both at home sick during those two horrible pranks, and if I knew what was going to happen I would have taken you home before you could be humiliated." said Parker.

"Why were you one of the few students who was nice to me?" asked Spencer.

"Having a little brother your age made my protective instincts increase when I thought about if my brother was a genius just like you I would be protecting him at school too, and being partnered with you in a few classes helped my grades improve." said Parker.

"At least you didn't force me to do your homework like many other classmates did." said Spencer.

At that moment Parker saw Lila come into the station and as she approached them, Parker spoke up.

"I guess you saw Spencer on TV too?" said Parker as he thought about when he saw Spencer speak to the press with another agent.

Lila turned her attention to Spencer and noticed that he definitely looks much different than he did six years ago.

"I was hoping that we could get together the next time you're in LA." said Lila.

"I can't, because I'm not the type of person who would cheat." said Spencer as he noticed the dejected look on Lila's face.

"Got yourself a girlfriend?" asked Parker.

Spencer removed his hands from his pocket.

"A wife actually, and I'm going to be celebrating my two year wedding anniversary in September." said Spencer.

"Mind if I see a picture of your girl?" asked Parker.

"Sure." said Spencer as he pulled out the pocket watch he got for Father's Day and opened it up to show Parker the first Reid family photo after the twins birth.

"They're so adorable." said Lila as she noticed that Spencer's very happy with his wife when her phone vibrated and she saw a text message reminder about a photo shoot. "I have to go." said Lila before hurrying away.

After Lila left, Parker looked at Spencer.

"I guess that answered my next question. How old are they?" asked Parker.

"Piper just turned 1 last month, and Albert and Ava are six weeks old." said Spencer as his phone vibrated and he saw a text from Hotch.

SUSPECT WAS APPREHENDED, AND WHEELS UP IN AN HOUR SINCE WE HAVE TO STOP AT THE HOTEL TO GET OUR GO BAGS. ~ AH

"I have to finish packing up because I am flying back to Virginia in an hour, but Parker if you're ever in DC you should call me to see if I'm not on a case so you can meet my wife and kids since I told Olivia about you." said Spencer as he pulled out one of his cards and wrote down his cellphone number before handing it to Parker.

"I have a trip to DC coming up next July, so I will call you, but if you have a case in LA again you better call me so we can meet up." said Parker before leaving the station.

* * *

After Spencer handed Hotch his post case paperwork, Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Up for a game of chess?" asked Rossi.

"I'd rather take a nap since it's a long flight home and I'm going to be on either Albert or Ava duty tonight." said Spencer.

At that moment Spencer's cellphone vibrated and he grinned when he saw the picture that Olivia sent him.

"A picture of the kids?" asked Morgan.

"A picture of Piper trying to give Ava her doll." said Spencer as he passed his phone around.

"Aww." cooed JJ as she looked at the photo.

Morgan took a look at the photo of the two baby girls who have the same color hair.

A minute later Spencer was holding his phone when it vibrated again.

"Another picture?" asked Alex.

"A picture of Albert." said Spencer as he passed his phone again.

"It's amazing that he looks so much like you Spencer." said Rossi.

"I know." said Spencer.

"I'm shocked that Albert is a clone of you while Ava's a clone of Olivia." said Morgan.

"They are fraternal twins like my mom and uncle Gordon." said Spencer as he sprawled out on the couch and closed his eyes so he could get a few hours of sleep.

* * *

Spencer was packing up when already packed up Hotch left his office.

"Not staying late again to do some of the work that Strauss had to do as Section Chief?" asked Spencer.

"Someone told you?" asked Hotch.

"Garcia kept me updated while I was on leave, and it's a given that you're not staying late today because you're my ride home so I don't have to take the train." said Spencer.

"Ready to go?" asked Hotch.

"Yes, and Olivia told me to tell you that Jessica and Jack are currently at my house when I talked to her while I was working on a few of my consults." said Spencer.

"Why are they there?" asked Hotch.

"Jack wanted to read to Piper, so Jessica called Olivia who told them to both come over and stay for dinner." said Spencer as he slung his go bag and messenger bag over his shoulders.

"When we babysit Piper, Jack reads to her and she loves it." said Hotch as they headed to the elevators.

* * *

Spencer and Hotch stepped into the house, and Spencer grinned when Piper came running over to him.

"Daddy home!" exclaimed Piper as she collided with her daddy's legs.

"Yes, I'm home." said Spencer as he swooped up his daughter and blew a raspberry on her belly before setting her on the ground so Hotch could greet his goddaughter.

"Hi." said Piper.

"You're getting so much bigger every time I see you, Piper." said Hotch before setting her down.

"Livy thinks that Piper's going to get her height from me." said Spencer as he kicked off his shoes, removed his tie and placed it in his go bag.

At that moment Jack came running into the foyer.

"Daddy! Uncle Spencer!" exclaimed Jack as he hugged his father before giving Spencer a hug.

"Where's your Aunt Olivia and Aunt Jessica?" asked Hotch.

"Aunt Jessica is cooking right now, and Aunt Olivia and uncle Spencer's daddy are feeding Albert and Ava." said Jack before heading back to the kitchen to help his aunt.

At that moment Olivia and William came downstairs with the twins.

"Sit down, Spencer." said Olivia as she also gestured for Hotch to sit down.

30 seconds later, Spencer was holding Albert and Ava at the same time, and Olivia pecked her husband on the lips.

"Welcome home." said Olivia before sitting down next to her husband while William headed to the kitchen to help Jessica.

"It's good to be home." said Spencer as he kissed both Albert's and Ava's foreheads. "Daddy missed you two, and I know that you two missed me these past few days just like your big sister does." murmured Spencer

Hotch looked at Olivia who looked tired, and he thought about Haley was still tired a month after Jack's birth.

"How are you doing?" asked Hotch.

"I'm tired, but I know in a few months Albert and Ava will be sleeping longer at night." said Olivia.

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"During my first night in LA, I woke up twice thinking that I needed to tend to Albert or Ava since I've been used to being here at home for over the past month." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at Hotch.

"Is he telling the truth?" asked Olivia.

"He is since I was sharing a room with him, and I did the same thing during my first case back after Jack's birth." said Hotch.

Jack came into the living room.

"Dinner's done." said Jack.

Olivia took a twin from Spencer as Hotch collected Piper for them.

"What did you help my father and aunt make?" asked Spencer as they entered the dining room where the table was already set.

"Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas." said Jack.

"Peas are one of my favorite vegetables." said Spencer as he winked at his wife while they put the twins into their swings.

"That's why we decided to make peas, due to the lecture you once gave me about them." said Olivia as she gave her husband a quick kiss before Spencer started cutting up Piper's portions.

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, Hotch, Jessica, Jack, and Piper were eating and Jack looked at Spencer.

"After we're done eating, can you please show me some magic tricks?" asked Jack.

"Sure bud, and maybe I can show you some physics magic." said Spencer.

Jack grinned as Hotch looked at Olivia.

"The last time he did it at the office, the film canister flew across the bullpen and landed near the coffee pot." said Hotch.

"Coffee." said Piper slowly

Spencer's face broke into a huge grin as Hotch, Jessica, Olivia, and William laughed.

"Piper is definitely a genius like her father." said William.

* * *

As Spencer exited Ava's nursery, he met up with Olivia who was talking quietly with William.

"Are you two going to need me up here tonight?" asked William

"We'll be fine, and I took a nap during the flight home." said Spencer

After bidding good nights, William headed downstairs, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"While you were in Los Angeles, I got the all clear for a bubble bath since it's been six weeks since I gave birth." said Olivia.

"You want to take one?" asked Spencer.

"Only if you take one with me, and I also got the all clear for you and me to have mommy and daddy time." said Olivia.

Spencer gulped as he felt his body reacting, causing a smirking Olivia to lead him to the master bathroom where she turned the water on and poured in the bubble bath soap before they started undressing each other.

"Despite giving birth six weeks ago, you still look beautiful." murmured Spencer.

"I can tell that you're not lying, but you get me pregnant again, I will castrate you." said Olivia as she tossed their clothing into the hamper before.

"Threat duly noted, Love." said Spencer as he turned off the water.

"But I changed my birth control to an IUD." said Olivia.

Spencer climbed into the tub before Olivia joined him, and after 45 minutes in the tub they were checking on Piper, Albert, and Ava before getting into bed themselves.


	2. The Inspiration

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Chermayne, southernbeauty13, OhSnapItsMadison, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter one, and also a shout out to everyone who clicked the follow or favorite button for this story!_

 _This chapter takes place around Labor Day Weekend so when I get to Route 66 and In The Blood, there's going to be an over two week time jump so Hotch can recover from surgery instead of taking a few days off. Piper's now 14 months old and Albert and Ava just turned three months old in this story._

 _With the chapter that deals with Gatekeeper coming up within the next few weeks, I need to figure out two 1980's or an older song that Spencer and Olivia will sing together when Spencer and Olivia sing a song together during the Irish Wake at the Benjamin and it I prefer it to be a male/female duet. So please PM me with some suggestions because the two songs I have in mind are Endless Love (Diana Ross and Lionel Richie) and Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better (Annie Get Your Gun)._

* * *

As Spencer set his go bag down, 14 month old mismatched-sock clad Piper ran to her daddy.

"Daddy home." said Piper as she hugged her daddy's long legs. "I miss you."

"I missed you and your little brother and sister too." said Spencer as he swooped up his oldest child and hugged her.

"Dinner's ready." said Olivia as she stepped into the living room and greeted her husband.

"Well I'm hungry, but I'm glad I gave you a heads up that I was coming home today." said Spencer as he carried Piper to the dining room where he saw his three month old twins Albert and Ava babbling to each other.

"I swear they are talking to each other while understanding what they are talking about." said Olivia.

"Maybe they are talking about their plans for world domination." said Spencer as he placed Piper in her high chair before he bent down and gave Albert and Ava a kiss on the forehead, causing both of them to smile at their daddy.

"They missed you." said Olivia.

"And I missed everyone while I was in Boise." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, and Piper were eating vegetarian lasagna and a salad while talking about what happened at home during the past few days while Spencer was in Boise.

When they were done eating, Spencer and Olivia were doing the dishes together while William gave Piper and the twins their baths, and Olivia thought of something they needed to talk about.

"I think you need a new car that you can drive the kids around in since I don't let you drive any of them around in the Volvo." said Olivia.

"I still want to keep mom's Volvo." said Spencer.

"And we can keep it in the garage since there's plenty of room, but what about getting a Toyota Prius?" asked Olivia.

Spencer started mumbling to himself, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"What are you mumbling about?" asked Olivia.

"I am calculating force times distance times the co-efficient of friction to determine how fast I can make a hairpin turn in a Prius." said Spencer.

"I hope that you wouldn't make those type of turns with the kids in the car." said Olivia.

"I wouldn't." said Spencer.

At that moment Spencer's phone vibrated, and he quickly dried his hands to grab his phone. He groaned when he saw that he has another case.

"Have to go back?" asked Olivia as she noticed the sad look on her husband's face.

"There's no other teams, and I am sorry that I'm leaving you and dad with the kids again." said Spencer sadly.

"It's OK Spencer, but at least you had supper." said Olivia.

"I will make it up to you when I get home." said Spencer.

"Can we have a much needed date night?" asked Olivia.

"Yes we can, and maybe during the week of our anniversary I will take you out on a romantic dinner." said Spencer.

"Now go say goodbye to the kids and your father and get to work." said Olivia.

* * *

Spencer and JJ were exiting an elevator together.

"We were this close to going to Ocean City, and I get the text." said JJ.

"Olivia and I were doing dishes together after eating an early dinner while my father gave the kids a bath, and I was in the middle of calculating force times distance times the co-efficient of friction to determine how fast I can make a hairpin turn in a Prius." said Spencer.

"You and Olivia don't have a hybrid, Spence." said JJ as she thought about the three vehicles that are at Spencer's house.

"I know, but Livy and I were talking about me getting a new car that's safe for the kids to ride in, and we're still keeping the Volvo since it has sentimental value to me." said Spencer.

At that moment another elevator opened and Morgan and Garcia exited it.

"Hey." said JJ.

"Hey. Weren't we just here?" asked Morgan.

"Did your date understand?" asked JJ.

"Ah, luckily we're neighbors." said Morgan as he looked at JJ and Spencer and wondered how they handle their own marriages and being parents while having to drop everything to save lives.

"Hmm." said JJ as the elevator opened and Alex exited it.

"You must be peeved." said Garcia as Alex approached them.

"I get to Dulles, make it through security, about to board the plane to Boston, and bam, I get the call." said Alex.

"I say we all demand a vacation." said Garcia.

"From who, the guy that works 3 jobs." said Spencer gaining a few chuckles before he continued, "Good luck with that." said Spencer as they headed up to the conference room.

"You're just lucky that you were given six weeks off after the twins were born." said Garcia.

"You guys wouldn't want me to fall asleep on the job, and Hotch and I are the only fathers on the team." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was twiddling his pencil with his fingers when Hotch and Rossi entered the room.

"Sorry you guys had to come in again. Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"Yeah. Two women, Sarah Beck and Jill Elks, were found in a park in Glendale, Arizona, within the last 3 days. Both of them were single, in their late 20s, and following their normal, low-risk routines when they were abducted." said Garcia.

"Where were they taken from?" asked Alex.

"Sarah was on her way to a theater group rehearsal, and Jill was abducted from her apartment. The unsub broke in through a window." said Garcia.

"Well, clearly, he's hunting a specific type." said Spencer as he noticed that both women were blond, making him realize that if they were brunettes he would picture Olivia in the pictures.

"He left the jewelry untouched." said Morgan.

"Yeah, it's not about robbery." said Hotch.

"Both women were sexually assaulted, and then they were shot in the heart and left in that prayer position." said Garcia.

"That's odd." said JJ as she looked at the photos.

"Maybe it's religious. It looks like they're leaning on a cross." said Rossi as Garcia showed them more pictures.

"Their hands are tilted forward." said Morgan.

"He could have made them supplicate and their hands clenched in rigor mortis." said Spencer.

"So they're possibly praying to atone for their sins." asked JJ.

"I doubt that. Both women have pretty clean backgrounds." said Alex.

"Since the posing was done postmortem, maybe it's a representation of the way in which he made them beg for their lives." said Spencer.

"We've definitely seen that before." said Rossi.

"He's getting off on the power. Let's head to Arizona. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his cellphone as he walked towards his desk and called Olivia.

"So where are you going?" asked Olivia.

"Glendale, Arizona." said Spencer.

"Only 10 miles from where I grew up." said Olivia.

"I know. Are the kids awake?" asked Spencer.

"William and I just put them to bed." said Olivia.

"Well I have to get going, and I promise to stay safe." said Spencer.

"Love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

"All right, let's go over victimology. Both of these women were professionals, young, single, blond, both in their late 20s, and petite." said Hotch.

"And besides appearance, there's no apparent connection." said JJ.

"The prayer position is unique." said Alex.

"Both these women were left in parks. The dumpsites could be symbolic. I mean, a lot of religions are based in nature, celebrating the outdoors." said Morgan.

"Pilgrimages are often made to parks. Believers say they're closer to God in places like that." said Spencer from his spot on the couch.

"Maybe he believes they're surrogates for a woman who cheated on him or rejected him." said Rossi.

"Either way, the unsub participates in high-risk behavior. He abducts and controls the victims, takes them to secluded locations, rapes them and kills them, all within 12 hours." said Spencer.

"His yet to be determined ritual leaves no outward indicators." said JJ.

"Well, we know he has a gun, the ability to abduct his victims, take them to a lair, and discard them in a park." said Morgan.

"So he probably has a van or SUV." said Rossi.

"And he's planned things out. He abducted one victim on her way to a theater, another one from her apartment." said JJ.

"So he stalks them." said Alex.

"The consistency of the disposal sites and methodologies tells us that he has no known or identifiable connection between any of the victims and in fact wants them to be found in order to convey his posed prayer message." said Spencer.

"Well, the parks will give us behavioral clues to help us fill out our profile." said Morgan.

"All right, we should split up when we hit the ground. He's probably already chosen his next victim." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his tablet, started looking up hammocks to buy and Rossi took a glance at the screen a few minutes later and everything clicked in his mind on why Spencer would be looking at hammocks.

"Thinking about getting Olivia a hammock for your second wedding anniversary?" asked Rossi as he thought about past wedding anniversaries while knowing that Spencer is following the tradition by going with cotton.

"Yes." said Spencer.

Everyone looked at Spencer and Rossi.

"Why a hammock?" asked Morgan.

Hotch looked at Morgan since he and Rossi have celebrated wedding anniversaries in the past.

"The traditional second wedding anniversary gift deals with cotton, and a hammock fits the criteria." said Hotch.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Have you and Olivia decided on doing something special for your second wedding anniversary?" asked Rossi.

"Olivia and I were talking about dressing up and going out for a romantic dinner, and then spending the rest of our wedding anniversary at home." said Spencer.

"No trip this time?" asked JJ.

"If we go on a vacation we would wait until next summer, and we have been brainstorming on places where we want to go." said Spencer as the jet started to descend.

* * *

The following morning Spencer, JJ, and Hotch were following Sergeant Lynne Johnson as she led them to the room where they would be working.

"This type of detailed ritualistic behavior typically manifests itself in multiple kills over a short period of time." said Spencer.

"I've increased the manpower on the street. I was even thinking about doing a press conference." said Sergeant Johnson.

"At this point, it would be better if we could conduct our analysis without media interference." said Hotch.

"We'll need a separate room to do the interviews." said JJ.

"There's one over there." said Sergeant Johnson as another officer approached them.

"Sergeant?" asked the officer.

"Yeah?" asked Johnson.

"Another vic, Emma Coleman, was found in Bonsall Park." said the officer.

"That's a mile from here." said Johnson.

"And two miles from the other dumpsite, which tells us the unsub's zone of comfort is within a 3-mile radius." said Spencer.

"I'll reroute Rossi and Morgan to the scene." said Hotch as he pulled out his phone.

"And we'll see if we can locate her next of kin." said Johnson.

"Good. We'll need to talk to them." said JJ.

"OK." said Jonson before leaving the room.

* * *

Spencer was going through files when his cellphone rang, and he smiled when he saw that it was Olivia calling.

"What's up?" asked Spencer.

"Well Albert and Ava want to talk to you, and your dad is currently at the park with Piper." said Olivia as she smiled at Albert and Ava who were babbling.

"Please put them on." said Spencer.

A few seconds later, he couldn't help but grin when he heard his two youngest babble at him.

"Are you two telling me that you two miss me?" asked Spencer.

Albert and Ava babbled their response before they both started laughing when Einstein burped in the background.

"Was that their first laugh?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Olivia as she wiped the tear off her face.

"I really miss you guys, and when I get home I am going to make sure that you have a few hours to yourself." said Spencer.

Olivia smelled two stinky diapers.

"Albert and Ava need their diapers changed, so I need to let you get back to work." said Olivia.

"I promise to stay safe, and I love you." said Spencer.

"Love you too." said Olivia before the line went dead.

* * *

Later that evening, JJ was sitting behind the desk and Spencer was sitting on top of the desk while they gently told Mr. Coleman about his wife being gone.

"This is a dream, right? You're going to tell me this is a nightmare?" asked Mr. Coleman as he glanced at Spencer's left hand and noticed a gold wedding band.

"We know this is difficult, Mr. Coleman." said JJ gently.

"I don't know what to say. I need to call her parents." said Mr. Coleman.

"Can we-can we ask you a few questions first?" asked Spencer as gently as he could before clearing his throat, "When was the last time you saw your wife?"

"Two days ago." said Mr. Coleman.

"Two days ago? That's- that's a long time. Why didn't you call the police?" asked JJ.

"We've been separated. Yesterday Emma was supposed to meet me at counseling, but she never showed up. We were doing better. We were talking, not yelling. In fact, she was planning on moving back in." said Mr. Coleman.

"You didn't think it was odd that she missed your session?" asked Spencer.

"I just thought she was getting cold feet. And that maybe she still wanted to... Wanted to be with him." said Mr. Coleman.

"Your wife was having an affair?" asked JJ.

Mr. Coleman nodded.

"Do you know who he was?" asked Spencer.

"I asked her, but she wouldn't tell me." said Mr. Coleman.

A minute later Spencer and JJ left the room while JJ called Garcia.

"Maybe our unsub is killing cheaters. That would explain why he poses them in the prayer position." said Spencer.

"Or he's just gaining confidence. The first two women were single, blond. Now he's moved on to married ones with varying looks." said JJ.

"He's either changing his victimology, or he knew that the first two were unfaithful." said Spencer as Garcia came onto the line.

"Hey, Garcia." said JJ.

"I was starting to feel like the hottest people I know had left me at the altar, but now you're here to kiss me with crime. What's up?" asked Garcia.

Spencer shook his head at Garcia's antics as JJ spoke.

"We need to get the 411 on our last victim, Emma Coleman. She was supposedly having an affair. Any frequently called men?" asked JJ before she and Spencer heard Garcia type.

"Uh, Uncle Sam. She was behind on her taxes." said Garcia.

"How about credit cards used at a hotel?" asked Spencer.

"No. Mm. She looks like me. A lot of online shopping and Indian takeout." said Garcia.

"Any suspicious texts?" asked Spencer.

"To her mother. That's about it." said Garcia.

"All right, well, send us a list of the 3 women she called the most this month. Those are her BFFs. They'll know who she's fooling around with." said JJ.

"Got it." said Garcia before hanging up.

* * *

The next morning Spencer, Hotch, Alex, and Sergeant Johnson were standing around the latest body.

"The M. E.'s report came back from the first two vics. They also had skull fragments and human remains in their systems." said Alex.

"This woman looks nothing like the last 3." said Sergeant Johnson as she looked at Spencer.

"The victim pool's expanding." said Hotch as JJ approached them.

"So I talked to Emma's best friend and she knew the lover's name. Turns out he was out of town for all of the kills and his alibi checks out." said JJ as Spencer crouched down closer to the body.

"So he's not our killer." said Sergeant Johnson.

Spencer noticed something.

"Guys, look. She choked on something." said Spencer as he pulled a tongue out of the woman's mouth.

"Oh, jeez, tell me that's hers." said JJ as she looked at the tongue that was resting in Spencer's gloved hand.

"It's not." said Spencer.

"Well, the tongue's still from the head region." said Alex.

"But who's the source?" asked Sergeant Johnson.

"He either has a job working with dead bodies, or that's from his first victim who we haven't found yet." said JJ.

"If we stick with the religious theory, it could be some sort of communion." said Hotch.

"Body of Christ." said Alex.

"If we can identify this victim, it'll help lead us to our unsub." said Spencer.

"Let's bag it and run the DNA. We're ready to give the profile." said Hotch.

* * *

"We believe that this unknown subject is a white male in his early 30s. Initially he targeted white, blond women in their 20s but is expanding his victim pool." said Hotch.

"His M. O. is to rape his victims and then shoot them in the heart. At the disposal site, he poses them as if they're praying. He's trying to convey a message that only he understands." said Rossi.

"Before he kills his victims, he forces the women to consume human flesh. It's called projected cannibalism. Typically cannibalism is a willing choice, but the act of forcing someone to engage in it is a form of torture. It tells us that the unsub is sadistic and most likely delusional." said Spencer.

"The emergence of those delusions would have caused difficulties in his relationships and jobs in the past. He may have been institutionalized or locked up as a result." said JJ.

"He sees himself as an enforcer and is punishing these women for their sins. He may have an overly developed sense of morality and feels the need to superimpose this on others." said Alex.

"Our unsub could have shot his victims anywhere, but he chose the heart, suggesting that he's been hurt by somebody close to him who's clearly the center of his rage." said Morgan.

Spencer started showing the officers the geographical profile that he did the day before.

"This is the comfort zone our unsub is operating in. We should increase police presence within this area. He's also devolving rapidly and could resort to even more extreme measures to punish his victims." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was walking with JJ and Rossi back to the conference room.

"You know what's odd? Usually in cannibalism, it's the visceral organs and the fleshy parts being eaten. But this unsub is making the victims eat exclusively from the head. Why?" asked Spencer.

"That may be symbolic. It's the one body part a person cannot survive losing." said Alex.

"All right, so why don't you two keep looking into that, and then we can devise a neighborhood canvass questionnaire, check for any attempted break-ins in the area." said Morgan.

"Someone's practicing for his new role. Look, rumor has it Hotch is putting in for Strauss' job." said JJ.

"See no evil, hear no gossip." said Rossi.

"Oh, come on, we see evil all day long." said JJ.

"Rossi says if we want to know, we gotta ask the big man himself." said Morgan as Hotch entered the room.

"I've asked Garcia to compile a list of break-ins in the area and also a missing persons report." said Hotch as he noticed everyone looking at him, "And yes, they did talk to me about the section chief job."

At that moment Spencer broke the silence as he kept his voice calm.

"Do you want it?" said Spencer as he thought about the desk job offers that he considered taking in the past after finding out that he was going to be a father the first time.

"I know what I don't want is an outsider coming in and questioning every move that this team makes. I told them that I'd think about it." said Hotch.

"So, what happens if you accept?" asked JJ.

"It means this would be my last case in the field, but nothing's been decided. And as soon as I figure out what to do, you'll be the first to know." said Hotch.

Sergeant Johnson came into the room.

"We just got a lead on a parolee who fits the profile. We're going to pick him up." said Sergeant Johnson.

"All right, Rossi, you and Morgan go check it out. The rest of us will go over the victimology statements." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer and JJ were getting coffee and a snack from the truck outside the police department.

"All right. Thanks, Morgan." said JJ before hanging up and looked at Spencer, "So, that parolee the sergeant had a lead on turned out to be a bust."

"What do you think about Hotch?" asked Spencer.

"I think it sucks." said JJ.

"What do we do?" asked Spencer.

"Uh, nothing." said JJ.

"What do you mean, nothing? I don't want him to leave." said Spencer as he thought when he started working with Hotch over 10 years ago when he was a cadet in the academy.

"At least he'll still be around." said JJ.

"Yeah, with his name on our reports." said Spencer.

"Look, I'm sure it's been hard for him on the road. He's not going to admit it, but a desk job would be easier on Jack." said JJ.

"He'll suffocate." said Spencer.

"Spence, we both have kids and spouses back at home. I bet you considered taking a desk job after the first time you were told that you're going to be a father." said JJ.

"I have." said Spencer quietly.

At that moment an officer approached Spencer and JJ.

"Dr. Reid, the M. E. just emailed this over." said the officer.

Spencer looked at the file as JJ pointed out an officer with her son.

"See?" said JJ getting Spencer to look at the kid, "I'm sure he just misses that just like you and I both do."

"I'm gonna eat you up! Eat you up! Yes. Yes, I am." said a female officer as her son giggled, causing Spencer to think of all the times he heard Piper laugh and the twins first giggles over the phone the day before.

"That's it." said Spencer as he looked at the file as he spoke again as he headed inside "That's it."

"What?" asked JJ before following Spencer inside.

A minute later Spencer and JJ were in the conference room.

"Guys, I think I figured out why our unsub's obsessed with the human head. The DNA reports are back in. All of the human remains found in the victims' stomachs are from the same person." said Spencer.

"So what does that mean?" asked Alex.

"It's a long explanation, so bear with me." said Spencer before continuing, "When Pheidippides ran a marathon, he had faith." said Spencer.

"He also died. Go on." said Hotch.

"True. If you take the fact that our unsub performs forced sexual acts with his victims, then add to that the force-feeding of a human head and the posed prayer position, I know this sounds crazy, but I think our unsub is obsessed with the praying mantis. That also explains why he poses the victims' hands like this instead of like this." said Spencer as he demonstrated with his hands before continuing, "The praying mantis can kill any of a multitude of creatures, but the most interesting fact is that oftentimes the female mantis engages in sexual cannibalism, meaning she'll bite off the head of her mate once copulation is complete, sometimes even during intercourse, actually." said Spencer.

"So that's what someone did to our unsub." said Alex.

"It also explains why he shoots his victims through the heart." said Spencer.

"But the center of our unsub's anger didn't bite off his head." said JJ.

"No, but she hurt him so badly that she got into his brain." said Spencer.

"So he's flipping the script." said Alex.

"He's completely taking it over. He basically sees the victims as the praying mantis out to destroy him, so before they can get to him, he rapes them, forces them to engage in cannibalism, thereby taking away their control of the situation. He's essentially walking them through the mating behavior of a captive praying mantis, only entirely on his terms. He even mirrors the decapitation of the insect by forcing them to eat pieces of a human head, only it's not a male human head, it's a female human head." said Spencer.

"The woman that's at the core of his rage." said Hotch as he started to understand Spencer's thoughts.

"Exactly. Now all women are his enemy. They're his predators, and he believes they're out to get him." said Spencer.

* * *

"Garcia, how are we doing on the missing persons reports?" asked Hotch.

"There are 6 women that have gone missing in the Glendale area in the last month." answered Garcia.

"Any of them from within the comfort zone?" asked Morgan.

"One, but she's a kid in the middle of a custody battle." said Garcia.

"What about surrounding areas?" asked JJ.

"That adds 8 women." said Garcia.

"See if any of them have any connections to the area." said Rossi.

"There's one lady, Heather Clarke, from Phoenix, Arizona. She went to school in the area 15 years ago." said Garcia.

"She fits the age." said Alex.

"And here's a thing- uh, she went missing two weeks ago, and 6 days prior to her missingness-ness-ness, it was announced in the paper she was to be married." said Garcia.

"Unsub must have seen that and it triggered his anger." said Morgan

"That would explain why he threw away the third victim's wedding ring." said Rossi.

"Guys, Heather has a DNA sample on file." said Garcia.

"All right, pull that and let's compare it to the tooth we found in the latest victim's body." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer entered the conference room with the results.

"Heather's DNA sample matches the tooth found in our victim's stomach." said Spencer.

Hotch called Garcia.

"Garcia, Heather Clarke is the victim that our unsub's been feeding to the others." said Hotch.

"Yikes." said Garcia.

"See if she has any enemies." said Hotch.

"No. She was her company's top regional manager. She-she looks loved." said Garcia.

"Well, the unsub's rage has probably been brewing for a long time." said JJ.

"And he most likely expressed his disdain for her long before he killed her." said Alex.

"Baby girl, check middle and high school records." said Morgan.

"No, zero, zero. There's nothing there." said Garcia.

"There's got to be something. See if her parents ever filed a restraining order." said Rossi.

"Oh, creepy bingo. When Heather was 16, she broke up with a guy named Wallace Hines. Wallace did not take the breaking up well. He went into an emo downward spiral." said Garcia.

"What happened to Wallace?" asked JJ.

"He was hospitalized. In fact, he's been in and out of institutions for over a decade. He suffers from acute delusional disorder." said Garcia.

"Where is he now?" asked Hotch.

"He was living with his mom until very recently. He moved two miles away from her, right smack in the middle of the hunting zone." said Garcia.

"So Wallace killed Heather, and when that didn't alleviate his rage, he began killing other women." said Morgan.

"Send us both addresses. Blake, you and Reid notify Heather's parents." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was sitting next to Alex, and they were both reading books as Alex looked at Morgan and JJ.

"Hey, what's wrong? For two people who made a big arrest, you look pretty unsettled." said Alex, causing Spencer to look at JJ and Morgan.

"Something was off about Wallace. The-the restaurant shooting was so chaotic and disorganized." said JJ.

"Yeah, it was. But when we arrested him... He was controlled. He was together." said Morgan.

"Well, Richard Farley was like that after his rampage." said Rossi.

"Yeah, so was Edward Tallaway." said Alex.

"Everyone has a different reaction to being caught. You guys did good." said Spencer.

At that moment Hotch's phone rang.

"Hotchner. Yes. I'm sorry? Thank you." said Hotch before hanging up and looking at his team. "We got the wrong guy."

"What?" asked JJ.

Spencer looked up behind him to look at Hotch.

"The fingerprints at the restaurant don't match." said Hotch.

"Hotch, how is that possible?" asked Morgan.

"Then Wallace must have an identical twin brother that we don't know about." said Spencer.

At that moment Hotch went to talk to the pilot and a few minutes later the jet turned around.

* * *

 _A/N: Next chapter will deal with The Inspired, and I wasn't going to combine the chapters that dealt with the first two season nine episodes because then it would have been a really long chapter._


	3. The Inspired

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, Chermayne for reviewing chapter 2. Also a huge thank you to Fashionista7 for those song suggestions.

* * *

 _ **Previously in chapter 2.**_

 _ **Spencer was sitting next to Alex, and they were both reading books when Alex looked at Morgan and JJ.**_

 _ **"Hey, what's wrong? For two people who made a big arrest, you look pretty unsettled." said Alex, causing Spencer to look at JJ and Morgan.**_

 _ **"Something was off about Wallace. The-the restaurant shooting was so chaotic and disorganized." said JJ.**_

 _ **"Yeah, it was. But when we arrested him... He was controlled. He was together." said Morgan.**_

 _ **"Well, Richard Farley was like that after his rampage." said Rossi.**_

 _ **"Yeah, so was Edward Tallaway." said Alex.**_

 _ **"Everyone has a different reaction to being caught. You guys did good." said Spencer.**_

 _ **At that moment Hotch's phone rang.**_

 _ **"Hotchner. Yes. I'm sorry? Thank you." said Hotch before hanging up and looking at his team. "We got the wrong guy."**_

 _ **"What?" asked JJ.**_

 _ **Spencer looked up behind him to look at Hotch.**_

 _ **"The fingerprints at the restaurant don't match." said Hotch.**_

 _ **"Hotch, how is that possible?" asked Morgan.**_

 _ **"Then Wallace must have an identical twin brother that we don't know about." said Spencer.**_

 _ **Hotch went to talk to the pilot and a few minutes later the jet turned around.**_

* * *

Spencer pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia, who answered on the second ring.

"I thought you're on your way home?" asked Olivia.

"Apparently our unsub has an identical twin, and now we have to fly back to Glendale." said Spencer.

Everything clicked in Olivia's mind.

"So the guy you guys arrested was the unsub's twin?" asked Olivia.

"Yes, but are you and dad going to be fine with me being gone a bit longer?" asked Spencer.

"Your dad and I will be fine with Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Olivia as Ava cooed.

"Are you feeding one of the twins right now?" asked Spencer.

"I'm nursing Ava, and she's aware that I am talking to you." said Olivia.

"Well, I will let you get back to feeding my little birdie." said Spencer.

"I love the nickname you have for Ava." said Olivia.

"Well, Ava does mean bird." said Spencer.

"I love you Spencer, and please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I love you too, and I promise to try to come home safe." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

Spencer was in an SUV with Hotch, Morgan, and JJ heading back to the police department as they listened to the press conference that Morgan was watching on his tablet.

"Let me say it again for the cheap seats. My client is innocent of these charges. He's been wrongfully arrested for crimes he did not commit. This is a case of the Glendale police department, and especially the FBI, jumping the gun." said Mark Anderson.

"Why?" said Mark

"Because profiling doesn't work, people. Racial profiling, behavioral profiling, whatever. When you rely on a set of assumptions instead of facts, you arrest the wrong people." said Mark Anderson.

Spencer entered the police station with his teammates and Sergeant Johnson approached them.

"You let him go?" asked Morgan.

"We didn't have a choice. He's a paralegal at a law firm. Jesse called the lead partner and within minutes the whole firm was here with employment records." said Sergeant Johnson.

Morgan's cellphone rang.

"Excuse us." said Morgan as he and everyone else walked into another room where he put the call on speaker, "Hey, make it good, mama. We are stuck on our own 20." said Morgan as a few teammates crossed their arms.

"I don't know if this is the penalty kick you need, but here's what I got Jesse Gentry. He was put up for adoption a smidge before he and his brother turned 3. His adoptive parents kept his first name, raised him in Phoenix, and he came to Glendale 5 years ago for work." said Garcia.

"Any contact between him, Wallace, and their mother?" asked JJ.

"Sort of-ellipses- and about a year ago he unsealed his adoption record." said Garcia.

"So, he knew he had a twin." said Rossi.

"He could have inserted himself into the investigation as a decoy to help his brother out." said Spencer as he wondered what type of mischief Albert and Ava would get into together in the future since they are pretty much close for three month old twins.

"Hold your handsome horses, boy wonder. His cell phone is clean, there's no credit card overlap. So just looking at the- pardon the dirty word-metadata, he hasn't had any contact with his family here." said Garcia.

"Go through all that work and not make contact? Come on." said JJ.

"At this point, everything's on the table. Dave and I will help coordinate the manhunt for Wallace. Reid, you and Blake talk to Carla Hines. She was the last person to see her son. JJ, you and Morgan keep tabs on Jesse. Even though he wasn't part of the original investigation, he is now." said Hotch.

Sergeant Johnson entered the room.

"Agent Hotchner, his lawyer wants to talk." said Sergeant Johnson.

Hotch came back into the room a few minutes later and looked at his team.

"We might as well go to the hotel and catch a few hours of sleep before we get to work." said Hotch.

* * *

Alex pulled up at Carla Hines house, and she and Spencer got out of the SUV.

"I'm just saying it's the kind of mistake that can end careers." said Alex.

"So Hotch doesn't get the section chief job." said Spencer.

"Spencer, Jesse Gentry is threatening a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the Bureau. It's not just Hotch, it could be all of us." said Alex before recognizing the car that Wallace was driving, "That's the car Wallace stole from the shootout."

Spencer pulled out his cellphone.

"This is SSA Spencer Reid, requesting backup at 505 Palmetto Street." said Spencer into his phone as he and Alex sprinted towards the house before pulling out his revolver.

"FBI! Carla Hines! Anybody home?" shouted Alex.

Alex looked at Spencer before she opened the door, and she and Spencer started clearing the house.

As soon as Spencer cleared the upstairs, he shouted to Alex.

"Clear!" shouted Spencer.

"Clear." said Alex.

A few minutes later Spencer was donning his latex free gloves when he met up with Alex in the living room.

"Jewelry's still in the bedroom. This wasn't a robbery." said Spencer.

"Maybe Wallace or Jesse came for their mother." said Alex.

"Maybe, but if either twin did this, they'd have a lot of questions. Whoever did this was trying to hide something." said Spencer as he crouched down by the fireplace.

"Carla?" asked Alex.

"Let's see." said Spencer as he pulled out burnt papers. "It looks like documents from the delivery. Pages from a baby book." said Spencer as he thought about the documents he and Olivia have on Piper, Albert, and Ava.

"Things a mother would keep." said Alex.

"And destroy if she had to. All the evidence of a 30-year secret." said Spencer.

"Except we know about the twins. They know about each other. What's left for her to hide?" asked Alex.

* * *

Spencer pulled out another document out of the fireplace and read it the best he could as he headed over to Alex.

"She also tried to destroy a birth certificate." said Spencer as he laid it down on a table that he laid other documents he found.

"It still looks like mom was trying to burn everything that mentioned Jesse, right?" asked Alex.

"Mm-hmm. Based on what I'm salvaging." said Spencer.

Alex walked over to him.

"Then why didn't she burn the APGAR scores?" asked Alex as she passed the document to Spencer.

"This identifies both twins by name. How did she miss this?" asked Spencer.

"She didn't. She burned other sections of the box." said Alex.

"So this isn't about Jesse at all. She's trying to hide something else." said Spencer as he and Alex glanced at the burnt documents.

"If we work deductively based on what survived and eliminate from that, we know her hospital, her O. B., even what drugs she took. But not who the father is." asked Alex.

"So who's dad?" asked Spencer.

* * *

Spencer and JJ were at the crime scene, and a crime scene tech was taking a picture of the body.

"Wallace's M. O.-the rape, the bullet through the heart. He even tried to pose her." said Spencer.

"He didn't try to force-feed her, which is his signature. And this crime scene..." said JJ.

"Organized, skilled, got in and out without detection." said Spencer.

"Exactly. If Wallace is losing it, he wouldn't be capable of this." said JJ.

"Maybe he re-evolved." said Spencer.

"Or we have a copycat who's a literal copy." said JJ.

"Jesse? But why start now? Why this victim?" asked Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and JJ were in the room where Morgan was interviewing Mr. Randall.

"Yeah. How did you know?" asked Mr. Randall.

"It was Jesse." said Morgan as he looked at Spencer and JJ.

* * *

Spencer, Hotch, and Morgan were conferencing in with Garcia.

"So, that super helpful law firm gave me some curious Intel regarding Jesse and his mom." said Garcia.

"How far back does the relationship go?" asked Hotch.

"According to some legally binding documents, 3 months. See, Carla was doing a little planning for the future and she utilized said law firm to set up a trust, with two trustees. Can you guess their names? Can you?" asked Garcia.

"Wallace and Jesse?" asked Spencer.

"Wrong. Well, half wrong. Jesse is named, but the other mysterious trustee is Bill Robbins." said Garcia.

"And who's that, mama?" asked Morgan.

"Mm-hmm. You haven't heard that name yet, have you? Bill Robbins went to college with Carla 30 years ago." said Garcia.

"Thanks, baby girl." said Morgan.

"Mm-hmm." said Garcia before Morgan hung up.

"30 years ago is when she conceived the twins. Bill Robbins must be the father." said Morgan.

"And this trust is why she burned any mention of him. If we found out who Bill Robbins was, we find the paper trail that connected Carla to Jesse." said Spencer.

"Not to mention that he could know where Wallace and Jesse are." said Morgan.

"All right, you two talk to Bill Robbins. I'm going to have another shot at the lawyer. It he's representing the whole family, he knows more than he's telling us." said Hotch before he, Morgan, and Spencer split up.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan walked through the apartment building, and heard a baby crying and a dog barking before Morgan knocked on the door and Bill Robbins opened it.

"How you doing? FBI. We're looking for a Mr. Bill Robbins." said Morgan.

"The sun and the moon have arrived. I'm ready to join you in your golden chariot." said Bill.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions, if you have a moment." said Spencer.

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" said Bill as he closed the door to unlock the security chain before letting Spencer and Morgan in, "My life is the answer to your questions. Come in. Come in. Uh, sit." said Bill as he led Spencer and Morgan inside.

"Full-scale psychotic break when he turned 25, right after Jesse was put up for adoption." said Spencer quietly.

"Well, no wonder his sons turned out the way they did." said Morgan as he closed the door.

"Schizophrenics are rarely psychopathic. If the twins are predisposed genetically to kill, they didn't get it from their father." said Spencer.

Bill came into the room with a chair.

"Where are my manners? Have a seat. Have a seat." said Bill as he sat down.

Spencer sat on the bed while Morgan stayed standing.

Bill decided to point out his artwork.

"Do you like my artwork?" asked Bill.

Spencer took a look and realized what Bill used for his artwork.

"Yeah, I do. Is that your feces?" asked Spencer.

"Maybe." said Bill.

Spencer gave Bill a wary smile, while he realized that he was glad he had his mother institutionalized since she has the supervision she needs.

As Morgan talked to everyone else, Spencer stayed with Bill.

"You have to understand, eggs are the devil's cholesterol." said Bill.

Spencer nodded as Morgan looked back at him.

"It's hit or miss." said Morgan before speaking again after hearing Hotch and Rossi talk to him. "We'll do what we can, but we might need a plan B." said Morgan before he hung up and approached Spencer and Bill.

"Mr. Robbins, have you seen your sons lately?" asked Morgan.

"Yes, Wallace and Jesse. Wallace is the older one. He's teachable. I can teach him things. But Jesse looks more like me." said Bill.

"When was the last time that you saw them?" asked Morgan.

"Not long ago. One was potty-trained, but the other wasn't." said Bill.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"They were toddlers." said Morgan.

"And they were crying because Carla was crying. And a magical woman took Jesse away." said Bill.

Spencer looked at Morgan.

"He's describing the adoption." whispered Spencer.

"She was a Saint, letting her son die like that." said Bill.

"Who do you mean? You mean Carla?" asked Morgan.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not her. The woman that took Jesse away. She was a Saint. She made the ultimate sacrifice. She let her son die." said Bill.

"I know who he's talking about." said Morgan as he looked at Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Morgan were driving back to the station, and they called the others.

"St. Mary's. The church St. Mary's?" asked Rossi.

"We think that's what the dad was describing to us." said Spencer.

"Yeah, JJ and I dug it up when we were researching Jesse. It's the church he was adopted through." said Morgan.

"It's also how Carla would see herself, as the most revered mother of all time." said Rossi.

"Have Sergeant Johnson notify SWAT." said Hotch.

* * *

JJ looked at Spencer.

"Did you let Olivia that your on your way home?" asked JJ.

"I've decided to surprise them." said Spencer as he pulled out a book from his messenger bag and started reading it.

A few minutes later Hotch and Rossi approached Spencer, Alex, Morgan, and JJ.

"My name got withdrawn from the list, so I am still your unit chief." said Hotch

Everyone smiled in relief since they didn't want to lose Hotch as their Unit Chief, and Spencer looked at his teammates and thought about the concerned looks he received all day.

"I know that you guys were concerned about me during this case since it has been been a bit personal for me in some ways when it came to being a parent of twins, and having a schizophrenic parent." said Spencer.

"But you didn't end up like your mom, and you and Olivia are no way like Carla and Bill." said Morgan.

"I know, but the only genes that I passed down to my kids are the higher chance of twins since multiples run in my mom's side of the family, Asperger's syndrome, and the chances of my kids being a genius like me." said Spencer.

"Piper is already a genius like her father." said Rossi.

"And Albert and Ava are pretty much ahead of schedule with their milestones." said Spencer before he flashed back to a prior case, causing him to grin.

"What's with the grin?" asked Hotch.

"I am thinking about getting Ava a onesie that says 'Evil Twin' and Albert a onesie that says 'Eviler Twin." said Spencer with a huge grin on his face.

"Now why does your wording seem familiar?" asked Morgan.

"I had to think of a creative way to tell you guys I told you so based on my evil twin and eviler twin theory that I made during the Angel Maker case back in 2008." grinned Spencer.

Hotch, Rossi, JJ, and Morgan burst out laughing when they realized that Spencer finally found proof of an evil twin and its eviler twin while working on a case.

Alex looked at Spencer, confused.

"It was when Emily was back on the team, and everyone thought I was crazy when I mentioned my evil twin and eviler twin theory." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer looked at his teammates.

"Livy and I were talking about having a date night since we haven't had one since our belated Valentines Day celebration." said Spencer.

"That long?" asked a bewildered Morgan.

"Olivia and I have been very busy, and we were also talking about my dad getting a night off too." said Spencer.

"So you guys are going to be needing some sitters." said JJ.

"Yes." said Spencer.

Alex, JJ, Morgan, Hotch, and Rossi were all chiming in that they would be glad to babysit.

"Piper, Albert, and Ava are going to need more than one sitter." said Spencer.

"How about Will and I babysit the kids, and Henry would have fun playing with Piper." said JJ.

"What about Savannah and me since I am the twins godfather?" asked Morgan.

"Well I am Piper's godmother." said JJ.

"I'm Piper's godfather." said Hotch.

Spencer groaned, realizing that he would have to deal with his teammates arguing about who gets to babysit the kids, but at that moment his cellphone rang and he grinned when he saw it was his uncle Gordon.

"Hi, uncle Gordon." said Spencer.

"Ethel and I are bringing your mom to DC this weekend so Diana can see her grandchildren while Ethel and I get to spend time with our great nieces and nephew." said Gordon.

Spencer grinned at the thought of his aunt and uncle being babysitters.

"I guess you helped solved a problem that I have been dealing with." said Spencer as he smirked at his teammates.

"What's the problem your dealing with Spencer?" asked Gordon.

"Olivia and I were talking about having a much needed date night, and my teammates are arguing about who gets to babysit the kids so dad could have a night off, and I think that Piper, Albert, and Ava would love to spend time with their great uncle Gordon." said Spencer as he watched his teammates jaws drop.

"You want Ethel, your mom, and I to babysit the kids?" asked Gordon.

"Exactly. So when are you guys arriving?" asked Spencer.

"This Friday, and Dr. Norman gave Ethel and I the all clear to take Diana to DC." said Gordon.

"I guess I will see you, mom, and Aunt Ethel on Friday then." said Spencer before exchanging goodbyes with his uncle and hanging up.

"You are evil." said Morgan.

"Well I can be an evil genius when I want to be." smirked Spencer.

* * *

Spencer quietly entered the master bedroom and smiled when he saw his wife sleeping as he quietly crept towards the bathroom when Olivia opened her eyes and smiled when she realized that her husband was home. She turned on the lamp.

"I thought that you would be home tonight since I heard that the BAU is currently trending on Twitter." said Olivia.

"Well I am about to take a quick shower before joining you in bed, and I have today off." said Spencer.

"How about a bubble bath." said Olivia as she started to get out of bed.

"You're planning on joining me?" asked a smirking Spencer.

"Yes, and I was just up with Albert 30 minutes ago." said Olivia.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer entered Piper's nursery while his dad and Olivia tended to the twins, and he smiled at the sight of his still sleeping daughter before he stroked Piper's cheek causing her to open her eyes and she grinned when she realized that it was her daddy waking her up, causing her to quickly scramble to her feet.

"Daddy home." said Piper.

"Yes I'm home, and I get to play all day with you, your brother, and your sister." said Spencer as he lifted Piper out of her crib and groaned, "What has mommy been feeding you when I was gone?"

"Food." giggled Piper.

20 minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, and Piper were eating breakfast as Albert and Ava were sitting in their baby seats, babbling to each other as the adults talked about upcoming weekend plans.


	4. Final Shot

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, Chermayne for reviewing chapter 3._

 _I am definitely on a roll this week._

 _I decided not to write about Spencer and Olivia's date night since it just consists of going out for dinner and dancing, and they don't have mommy and daddy time at all due to Diana, Ethel, and Gordon being in the guest bedrooms. But I am going to include a small part of Spencer and Olivia celebrating their two year wedding anniversary in this chapter._

 _In this chapter Piper is 14/15 months old and Albert and Ava are 3/4 months old due to the time jumps that happens._

 _This is the last chapter that Spencer will be 31, so that means Spencer will be turning 32 in the next chapter._

* * *

Spencer and Olivia were sitting pretzel legged on the floor each with their three month old look a likes on their laps as 14 and a half month old Piper stood between her parents.

"Can everyone smile for me?" asked the photographer as he looked at the color coordinated family.

Spencer, Olivia, and Piper had no problem smiling before the photographer started making funny faces to get Albert and Ava to smile and laugh, and a few seconds later he took a photo before looking at it.

"I definitely got a good one, so how about we do one that only involves the father and his daughters?" asked photographer.

"Sure." said Spencer.

A few minutes later both Spencer and Ava were on their bellies staring at each other as a grinning Piper sat on top of her daddy's back and Olivia giggled as the picture was taken.

"How about one with the father and son together." said the photographer.

Two minutes later a picture of Spencer with Albert was taken, and after a few more photos were taken Spencer and Olivia were leaving the portrait studio with their kids and as they were driving home, Spencer and Olivia talked.

"Knowing my teammates, they are going to want to see the photos right away when we are able to pick them up." said Spencer.

"We should definitely give Derek and Penelope each a picture of the twins together." said Olivia.

"We should, and Hotch and JJ would like one of Piper by herself." said Spencer.

"Maybe we can find a frame that will hold certain photos that you want on your desk at work." said Olivia.

"I am definitely going to have the one of all five of us on my desk." said Spencer.

"You better, and I did like the one with you having tummy time with Ava while Piper sat on your back." said Olivia.

"I am definitely going to have that one in the frame while including the picture of just Albert and I." said Spencer and he decided to focus on the road.

* * *

Two weeks later Spencer entered the bullpen and smiled when he already saw JJ and Alex there.

"Olivia and I finally got the pictures from the photographer." said Spencer.

"Let's see them since I helped Olivia shop for hers, Piper's, and Ava's outfits." said JJ.

"I'd rather show everyone the photos at once." said Spencer.

Garcia sent everyone a text message, and a few minutes later Spencer was showing his teammates the series of shots that were taken causing JJ, Garcia, and Alex to coo at the outfits that Piper, Albert, and Ava were wearing in the photos.

"I just can't believe that Piper's already 15 months old." said JJ as she looked at the photo of a grinning Piper sitting on top of her daddy's back while Spencer and Ava were both on their tummies staring at each other, "And I have to say that this photo of you with Piper and Ava is my favorite."

"It's definitely one of my favorites too, and Olivia was trying to contain her laughter when that photo was being taken." said Spencer.

"Albert is definitely a spitting image of you Reid." said Garcia as she looked at the photo that was taken of only Spencer and Albert together.

"He's only three and a half months old." said Spencer as he took the photo from Garcia.

"But he already has your eyes and hair, and the baby photos I saw of you are proof that Albert is definitely a clone of you." said Garcia.

"I definitely like this one." said Hotch as he showed the one of Spencer, Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava all together all with smiles on their faces.

"That's one of the photos that is going to be on my desk along with these photos." said Spencer as he pointed out the ones that were going to be on his desk.

"You ready for your wedding anniversary tomorrow?" asked Rossi.

"I am, and I can't believe that I survived two years of marriage." said Spencer.

* * *

The following evening, Spencer and Olivia were walking hand in hand along the Potomac River in Alexandria, and Olivia looked at the view of some of the DC monuments.

"I'm glad that we were able to get out of the house to celebrate our wedding anniversary." said Olivia as she started to shiver in the evening fall breeze.

"I am too." said Spencer as he unclasped his hand from Olivia's hand, removed his suit jacket, and helped Olivia put it on.

"Thanks." said Olivia.

"You're welcome." said Spencer as he wrapped an arm around Olivia's waist while they continued walking.

"Is there anything special you want to do next Wednesday for your birthday if you don't have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Just a birthday dinner at m house with the team, Will, Jack, and Henry present, but if there's a case, we can easily postpone the dinner even though my teammates would insist on going out to eat to celebrate my birthday." said Spencer.

"And our usual mommy and daddy time like we did on your past two birthdays?" asked Olivia.

Spencer's face heated up as he realized that he was grateful it was getting dark out while he leaned into Olivia's ear.

"You're so going to get it when we get home." growled Spencer.

Olivia shivered when she heard her husband's voice in her ear.

"Let's go home since I have plans for you, Dr. Reid." said Olivia.

"At least we already exchanged gifts." said Spencer as he led Olivia to his new dark blue Toyota Prius that he bought after coming home from Arizona,

"I just can't wait for us to cuddle in that hammock when the kids are napping." said Olivia.

"Me too, and I will be using that blanket to cover up with when I catch up on sleep on the jet." said Spencer as they approached his car.

"I was hoping you would, and I am glad you picked this color since it's the color of the Tardis." said Olivia.

"That's why I chose it." smirked Spencer as he opened the passenger door for Olivia.

* * *

A week later Spencer was doing push ups in the living room, and every time he pushed down, he would blow a belly raspberry on four month old Ava, causing her to giggle.

"You like that?" asked Spencer as he blew another raspberry on Ava's belly causing more laughter.

After a few more push ups he felt someone climb onto his back.

"Oof." groaned Spencer as he felt Piper's arms wrap around his neck while making sure that he didn't fall on top of Ava while deciding to continue doing push ups as he blew raspberries on Ava's belly with Piper adding extra weight to his back.

A few minutes later Olivia came downstairs with Albert, and she held back a laugh as she pulled out her phone and started filming the cute moment that Spencer was having with Piper and Ava.

* * *

The next day Spencer was heading back from a late lunch when he saw JJ hanging up her phone as she and Alex checked their go bags.

"What's going on?" asked Spencer as he rushed to his desk to grab his bags when Hotch and Rossi approached them.

"Don't know. Just heard we're leaving now." said Alex.

"There's been a mass sniper shooting in Dallas." said Hotch.

"How many victims?" asked JJ.

"Still unclear. 3 confirmed deaths so far." said Rossi.

"We don't know much beyond that." said Hotch.

"Is it a terrorist attack?" asked Alex as they approached Morgan and Garcia.

"Well, if it is, they're happening more frequently. First the Boston Marathon, then the cleaver incident in London." said Morgan as they started to enter the elevator.

"We're also coming upon the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK, which also took place in Dallas." said Spencer.

"So we have to consider domestic terrorism." said JJ.

"Right now we have to consider everything. Garcia, I need a list of all acts of civil unrest in Texas in the last few years." said Hotch.

"Copy that." said Garcia.

"Local FBI's on the scene. We'll take the lead when we get there." said Hotch.

"Be safe." said Garcia as the elevator doors closed on Spencer, Hotch, JJ, Alex, Morgan, and Rossi.

"I guess I will contact Olivia on the plane unless she's already watching the news." said Spencer.

* * *

After the jet took off, Spencer saw a text message from Olivia.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MASS SHOOTING IN DALLAS? YOUR DAD AND I ARE WATCHING NATIONAL NEWS RIGHT NOW. ~ OR

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

THE DALLAS FIELD OFFICE CALLED US IN, AND WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO DALLAS AT THE MOMENT. I'M SORRY THAT I DIDN'T CALL YOU SINCE I WAS COMING BACK FROM A LATE LUNCH WHEN I GOT THE CALL. I PROMISE TO STAY SAFE, AND I LOVE YOU, DAD, AND THE KIDS. AND I WILL CALL YOU WHEN I HAVE A CHANCE. ~ SR

* * *

Spencer was at the hospital with Alex interviewing some of the witnesses, and Brooke was sitting in a hospital bed with her ankle wrapped up.

"I already told the other agents everything I remembered." said Brooke.

"I understand. But sometimes details come back to people hours or even days after the event." said Alex.

Spencer decided to perform a cognitive interview on Brook.

"Brooke, if you wouldn't mind, try closing your eyes and just listening to my voice." said Spencer.

Brooke decided to trust Spencer as she closed her eyes.

"You're walking across the Plaza. How does it feel outside?" asked Spencer.

"It's really nice. Warm, but not too hot." said Brooke.

"Where are you going?" asked Spencer gently.

"To get burgers with Casey. I'm annoyed." said Brooke.

"Why?" asked Spencer.

"'Cause Casey's bugging me. But then I see Axel." said Brooke.

"What happens next?" asked Spencer.

"I walk up and say hi. And then..." said Brooke.

"What do you see?" asked Spencer.

"No, I'm sorry. I can't do this." cried Brooke.

"All right, it's all right. We'll stop." said Alex.

"I saw him dead. It was awful. I..." cried Brook as Alex embraced her.

"Uh... I'm so sorry. But you're OK. You're safe." said Alex.

At that moment a surgeon pulled Spencer aside.

"Dr. Reid, Kyle Yates is dead." said the surgeon.

A minute later Spencer went back to Alex, Brooke, and Casey and motioned for Alex to follow him.

"Excuse me." said Alex.

A few seconds later Alex looked at Spencer.

"What happened?" asked Alex.

"Kyle Yates, the sixth victim, just died." whispered Spencer.

* * *

Spencer entered the conference room with Alex when he heard Morgan talk.

"It all points to him not being a very good shot." said Morgan.

"Or maybe he's a great shot. According to the doctors at the hospital, all 6 victims were hit with kill shots directly to the head, base of neck, and heart. The sixth victim only survived because of an anatomic anomaly. He had a reversed heart, but the bullet still tore through major arteries and they couldn't save him." said Spencer.

"So what seems to be disorganized shooting is actually organized and intentional." said Alex.

"A forensic countermeasure?" asked Rossi.

"Mm-hmm. To make law enforcement believe the unsub's not a specially-trained shooter." said Alex.

"Which means the victims weren't random at all. He knew exactly who he wanted to kill." said Spencer.

"So if it wasn't the attorney, who's the real target?" asked JJ.

* * *

"We're looking for an LDSK, or a long distance serial killer. He's a very skilled marksman with a God complex." said Hotch.

"He derives pleasure out of remaining unseen and determining the fates of people from afar." said Morgan.

"He's criminally sophisticated and methodical, concealing his method of ingress and egress, leaving little evidence behind in his sniper perches." said JJ.

"This suggests a great deal of experience, so this unsub has a military or law enforcement background, possibly even Special Forces." said Alex.

"His victims at first appear to be targets of opportunity, but it now appears that one or more of them are targets of choice. The remaining victims are collateral damage to be used as a forensic countermeasure, similar to what John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo did with the D. C. Sniper case in 2002." said Spencer.

"This means there's some unknown connection between one or more victims at the first and second crime scenes." said Rossi.

"What about the Caucasian male the eyewitness saw at the Plaza?" asked Agent Mays.

"It's something to consider, but we can't rule out others. We know that the unsub is likely in his late 30s to 40s in order to have the means and patience to plan and execute these attacks." said Morgan.

"If he still has specific targets, it's likely he won't wait long to attack, so the public needs to remain vigilant." said Hotch.

* * *

"We know the unsub had a specific target, but who was it?" asked Alex.

"Well, we checked out Ricardo Hernandez. He was going through a divorce. Melanie Chen, who's appealing a custody decision. But nothing seems out of line. Beside the assistant D. A., no one seems to have any clear enemies." said JJ.

"All right, let's look at this a different way. The Plaza was an open space. The unsub would want to make sure that his target couldn't get away. How would he ensure that?" asked Morgan.

"Kill his real target first." said Agent Hollins.

"Too obvious. He would know law enforcement would focus more on his first victim than the others, which your office definitely did." said JJ.

Spencer got up as he spoke.

"You know, the fact is, this is an experienced sniper who can account for timing. After the first shot, no one moves. People are puzzled. Everyone's reaction is to look for a source of the sound. After the second shot, it takes the average person one and a half seconds to cognitively process that they're in a potentially life-threatening situation. It takes another .7 seconds for a physical response to kick in. By which time the third shot has already been fired." said Spencer before sitting down and looking through a file.

"So the unsub wanted victim number 3." said JJ.

"Well, anyone after number 3 had a chance of getting away, and the unsub wouldn't have taken that risk." said Alex.

"Victim number 3- Alice Emerson, 44, social worker, married with a 12-year-old son. Husband's been too distraught to talk." said Agent Hollins.

"Well, Blake and I can see if he's ready to talk now." said Morgan as he and Alex got up.

"The last 8 years she worked at a women's shelter downtown. That can't be the easiest of jobs." said Spencer.

"Let's see if her boss can shed some light." said JJ as she looked at Spencer who followed suit and got up.

* * *

Spencer and JJ stood by Alice's desk with Nancy Summers, who was looking at a photo of Alice with her son.

"Alice seemed anxious this morning. I asked her about it and she said her mother was having a medical procedure done." said Mrs. Summers.

"So being stressed was out of the ordinary for her?" asked Spencer.

"Well, I won't lie. Working here does take an emotional toll." said Mrs. Summers.

"Escaping an abusive situation can be incredibly difficult. I can imagine your job's frustrating." said JJ as Spencer looked at her.

"The victims are a mess, physically, emotionally, and they often go back to their abuser." said Nancy as she led the two agents to the couches so they could sit down "The fact is most employees burn out. They don't work here more than a few years."

"It sounds like Alice was the exception. What exactly did her job entail?" asked Spencer.

"She was the point of first contact. If a woman was committed to leaving her abuser, Alice would funnel them to a community angel." said Nancy.

"I take it that's somebody who provides them a temporary home?" asked JJ.

"That and more. They may help create a new identity for the client." said Nancy.

"I'm assuming the secrecy is to protect them from their abusers?" asked Spencer.

"The men that they're escaping can be incredibly violent and vindictive. A whole network has been created to help protect these women." said Nancy.

"Sort of like an underground railroad." said Spencer.

"Exactly. I just work at the starting point. I don't even know all the players in the network." said Nancy.

"The police have been through her email and her cell phone and it seems they've been completely wiped clean. Does that have anything to do with this job?" asked JJ.

"6 years ago, an angry ex-boyfriend broke into our computers and found the location of his girlfriend and he killed her and the community angel she was staying with before committing suicide." said Nancy as a woman gained her attention "Excuse me." said Nancy before getting up and walking away.

"Living with that type of secrecy is a nightmare for everyone involved. But I...get why they have to do it." said Spencer as he thought about the secrets that were kept from him and that he couldn't tell Olivia that he survived Anthrax.

JJ got up.

"You OK? For a moment there you looked kind of worried." said Spencer.

"Yeah, I'm all good." said JJ.

"If you were worried about something, you'd tell me, right?" asked Spencer as he thought about the last time JJ lied to him.

"Spence, I'm not worried about anything except maybe solving this case." said JJ.

"It's too bad all those emails and texts are gone forever." said Spencer.

"Um, I'm sorry, have you ever met Penelope Garcia?" asked JJ.

* * *

"Alice Emerson's husband said they live a quiet life. But this morning before the shooting, she was acting preoccupied. When he asked her what was bothering her, she said it was something at work." said Morgan.

"Yet her boss claims she was worried about a medical procedure her mom was having." said Spencer.

At that moment the phone rang and Hotch answered it.

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch.

"I am loathe to admit this, but I'm having a hard time recovering all of Alice Emerson's texts and emails. That company that runs chat alert is damn good at scrambling their data. And although I am as fast as hot lightning, my server is not because it needs updating, so if someone with great hair and a tie could approve the funding to update said server, we could get this show on the road and I could-" rambled Garcia.

"Put in a requisition, Garcia." said Hotch.

"Thank you, sir. Filing form 9093B now. I am familiar with it and the void it disappears into. OK. I did manage to piece together Alice's last text. It was sent at 11:40, which is less than an hour before the shooting. It's a doozy. It was sent to a prepaid cell phone and it is this: "Rebecca Schroeder."" said Garcia.

"You lost me. We're talking about Alice Emerson." said JJ.

"I know. And that's the text she sent, that name, Rebecca Schroeder." said Garcia as Morgan walked over to the board they were given to use.

"She's the second shooting victim at the gas station." said Morgan.

"Yeah. Rebecca is an Econ professor at East Texas College. She's 50, never married and no kids, although she does have a sister who lives in Austin with 5 kids, that she's close to. She has season tickets to the opera. Beside that, she lives like a monk. According to her credit card record, she doesn't even own a pet." said Garcia.

"Any idea where Alice and Rebecca's paths might have crossed?" asked Hotch.

"No. I ran a cursory search and I've come up with nada." said Garcia.

"What if Rebecca Schroeder was a community angel?" asked JJ.

"If she was part of the network that shelters abused women, the unsub could be looking for someone they both helped." said Spencer.

"Alice was the first contact for an abused woman, but the unsub needed to know who the woman was handed off to. In this case it was Rebecca." said Morgan.

"He may have threatened to kill them or a loved one if they didn't give him the information that he wanted." said Spencer.

"After they did, he killed them anyway to bury the evidence and cut off the trail. It's probably why he shot at Rebecca's phone." said JJ.

"If Alice gave up Rebecca's name, Rebecca may have also given up something vital to the unsub. Thanks, Garcia." said Hotch before hanging up.

* * *

Spencer approached Rossi and Alex after he talked to one of the neighbors about Rebecca.

"So the neighbor described Rebecca Schroeder as standoffish. The neighbor said that she stopped by a couple times to be friendly and Rebecca never even invited her inside." said Spencer.

"Well, how could she, what with her practically hiding fugitives?" asked Alex.

"The neighbor also said she never had any visitors except for a speedy send courier. She thought the two of them were sleeping together because the courier would back the truck up to the garage and stay for half an hour." said Spencer as he, Alex, and Rossi headed back to the SUV.

"I think the neighbor may have just identified the next step in the escape route." said Rossi.

* * *

Spencer, Alex, and Rossi approached a delivery man.

"Excuse me. We're with the FBI. We'd like to talk to you about a package you picked up from a Rebecca Schroeder." said Rossi.

"Go, Danny. Maple Street's calling. You're late for a pickup." said a man through the radio.

"My office doesn't know about this. I really need this job." said Danny.

"Look, we're not here to get you in trouble. We just need to know where you took Maya Carcani." said Spencer.

"I don't know their names. I'm just a driver." said Danny.

Alex pulled out her phone to show Danny a picture of Maya.

"This is Maya. Do you remember her?" asked Alex.

"OK. Yeah. Yeah, she was terrified. I took her here." said Danny as he handed Alex the address.

"Thank you." said Alex as she, Spencer, and Rossi headed back to the SUV.

* * *

Spencer, Rossi, and Alex were heading to the address they were given as they conference called with the rest of their team and Agent Mays.

"We have to hope Maya follows the rules. The shelter says the women are supposed to remain in hiding for at least two months. They're supposed to stay behind closed windows, closed doors, volunteers bring supplies and food to them." said Spencer.

"Maya left her husband 6 weeks ago, so the killer's gotta wait another two weeks for her to come out. There's a good chance he'll give up. He can't wait forever." said Agent Mays

"A sniper can wait up to 72 hours without sleeping." said Hotch.

"Seriously?" asked Agent Mays.

"That's part of their training. They can stay awake for 72 hours and remain completely focused on their target." said Rossi.

"How?" asked Agent Mays.

"By using a mental exercise called fantasy integration. The sniper creates a scenario involving a target that keeps that person at the forefront of their mind." said Hotch.

"Often they'll imagine a place where they're with the target doing something together that takes time, for example, building a car." said Morgan.

"For some, the fantasy begins the minute they're assigned a target. And nothing will distract them." said JJ.

"So as long as she stays inside, she should be safe. Right?" asked Agent Mays.

"The problem is, staying cooped up for a couple of months without a breath of fresh air is hard to do." said Alex.

"It's what the sniper is counting on, that she has no idea he's waiting for her." said Rossi.

"I have the name of your shooter. Maya's husband Eric made a call a month ago to a Colin Bramwell in Mombasa. Eric and Colin worked there 5 years ago. Colin is a former sniper for the South African Special Forces. He was kicked out when he was suspected of stealing government documents, and he entered the United States a week ago on a tourist visa." said Garcia.

"If all went according to plan, he's be out of the country before anyone was onto him." said Spencer.

"And the whole thing would go down as an unsolved act of domestic terrorism." said JJ.

* * *

Later that evening, Spencer was sitting in the rocking chair in Piper's nursery with an already bathed and pajama clad Piper on his lap as he worked on getting his oldest child to sleep, and a few minutes later he succeeded in getting Piper to sleep before gently setting her into her crib.

"Daddy loves you so much Piper, and hopefully I will be here when you wake up in the morning." murmured Spencer as he covered Piper with a blanket before exiting the nursery where Olivia was waiting for him.

"She finally fell asleep." said Spencer as he thought about how Piper wanted him to play with her when he came home from Dallas.

"Albert and Ava are asleep too. Are you too tired that you want to go to bed right away or do you want to go downstairs and watch a movie with me for a little bit?" asked Olivia as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.

Spencer let out a yawn.

"I guess your yawn answered my question." said Olivia as she led her husband to the bedroom.

20 minutes later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep in bed, knowing that Albert and Ava will still be waking them up a few times during the night.


	5. Spencer Turns 32 and To Bear Witness

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, southernbeauty13, and tannerose5 for reviewing chapter 4._

 _I have the case in this chapter taking place a week before the air date of To Bear Witness since the next episode includes Hotch having surgery, and he's going to need a few weeks to recover._

* * *

Spencer started to wake to the sunlight streaming from the bedroom window when he felt a 20 pound toddler on his chest giving him sloppy kisses.

"Ake up Daddy." said Piper.

Spencer opened his eyes and was face to face with his nearly 16 month old daughter as he reached for his glasses and put them on.

"Good morning Piper." said Spencer as he kissed Piper's cheek before adjusting her in bed so she was curled up into his side since he heard the twins babbling, knowing what's coming next.

At that moment William came into the bedroom with the twins.

"Happy birthday Spencer, and I can't believe that's it's been 32 years since I held you for the first time." said William as he placed the twins in Spencer's arms.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

William looked at his oldest grandchild.

"Want to tell your daddy what we have been practicing these past few days?" asked William.

"Happy birfay daddy." said Piper as she kissed her daddy's cheek.

"Thank you Piper." said Spencer as he mimicked his daughter's actions.

William left the room so he could help Olivia bring the breakfast in bed surprise that they arranged for Spencer, and a few minutes later Olivia was feeding Spencer his breakfast as Spencer cuddled with his kids.

* * *

Spencer knelt down to Piper's eye level.

"Bye bye Piper, and you be a good girl for mommy and grandpa." said Spencer as he hugged Piper.

"Bye bye daddy, and I be good." said Piper and she ran off to play with her toys while Spencer rose to his full height so he could say goodbye to Olivia and the twins.

"Bye Albert, and Daddy loves you." said Spencer as he kissed his son's forehead.

"Dada." said Albert.

"Did he just?" asked Olivia.

"He sure did." said Spencer before looking at Ava, "Bye Ava, and Daddy loves you."

"Dada." said Ava.

"Did she?" asked Spencer as he tried to hold back tears at the realization that his four month old twins decided to say his name as their birthday present for him.

"She did." said Olivia as she pecked her husband on the lips.

Spencer looked at Albert and Ava.

"You two saying Dada as your first words on my birthday is the best birthday present from you two." said Spencer as he gave his two youngest each one more kiss.

Olivia looked at Albert.

"I was hoping that you would say mama since you're a mama's boy." said Olivia.

Albert just stuck his tongue out at his mommy while Spencer burst out laughing as he exited the house.

* * *

Spencer sat down at his desk and Alex looked at him.

"Happy birthday." said Alex.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

"So what did you get so far for your birthday?" asked Alex.

"Olivia surprised me with breakfast in bed while I cuddled with the kids in bed before I had to start getting ready to come here, and the best birthday gift I got from the twins was that they both said Dada when I was saying goodbye to them." said Spencer.

"Already showing signs of being geniuses like their parents and big sister, and I bet Olivia wasn't happy that Albert said Dada." said Alex.

"She wasn't, and Olivia told Albert that she was hoping that he would say mama, but he just stuck his tongue out at her." said Spencer.

Alex laughed as she pulled out the newspaper she brought with her.

"I already did it this morning, so please let me time you." said Spencer as he grabbed his stop watch from his desk before sitting on top of a desk.

"Thanks." said Alex.

"Olivia is jealous that I can do these much faster, but she asks me for help all the time." said Spencer.

"Let's get started before we have briefing, and knowing Penelope she has yet to tackle you with a hug like she did last year." said Alex.

"I know." said Spencer as he started to quiz Alex on her crossword puzzle, and a few minutes later they were nearing the end.

"6 letters, "between the waves." said Spencer.

"Slatch." said Alex.

"Yes. 10 letters, "wandering alone." said Spencer.

"Uh... Latin in origin, alone is "solus, " vagare is "wandering, " 10 letters- s-o-l-i-v-a-g-a-n-t." said Alex.

Spencer stopped his stop watch and checked the time.

"Congratulations, Blake, you just finished that crossword puzzle in 7 minutes." said Spencer.

"I mean, you could do it, too." said Alex.

"I've done it in 5 1/2, actually. There's a theory about pattern recognition where you don't even have to look at the clues anymore, but I found that going across instead of down helps because the sequence of saccades and fixations in traditional reading assist with other oculomotor tasks such as solving crossword puzzles." rambled Spencer as Rossi approached them.

"Happy Wednesday, my nerds." deadpanned Rossi.

"Hey, you're here early." said Alex as Spencer removed his stopwatch from around his neck.

"Well, apparently not early enough. I missed all the excitement. You do that in pen?" asked Rossi.

"Is there any other way?" asked Alex.

"Where's Hotch?" asked Rossi.

"In there with Garcia." said Alex as she, Spencer, and Rossi took a look at the room where Hotch and Garcia were, "Everything OK?" asked Alex.

"We'll see." said Rossi before walking away.

"10 letters, starts with C." said Alex.

"Cabalistic?" asked Spencer.

"Indeed." said Alex.

Rossi turned his head and looked at Spencer.

"Happy birthday, Spencer." said Rossi.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

"Oi! Let's do this." said Garcia as she stuck her head outside of the conference room.

A few minutes later Spencer, Rossi, and Alex were entering the conference room with some coffee as Garcia started talking.

"Hi. Good morning. No real time to get comfortable." said Garcia.

"An hour ago, the man on your tablets was found wandering the streets of Baltimore before he collapsed." said Hotch.

"He is unconscious, he has no I. D. on him, so we don't know his name. He's got ligature marks on his wrists, and it's impossible to tell how long he's been missing." said Garcia.

"Are those puncture wounds in the corner of his eyes?" asked Rossi.

"Yes, and an MRI confirmed that fibers in his brain had been severed." said Hotch.

"He had a lobotomy?" asked Rossi.

"There was hemorrhaging and foreign object splinters imbedded behind his right eye." said Hotch.

"Most likely from whatever tool the unsub used." said Spencer.

"My guess would be an icepick." said Rossi.

"The guy's still alive. Can we talk to him?" asked Morgan.

"You should try." said Hotch.

"Someone with such a specific M. O. Has probably done this before." said Alex.

"We just don't know about it yet. It's all being run through ViCAP." said Hotch.

"Yes, it is." said Garcia.

"The entry points in his eyes are from an outpatient-style traditional lobotomy. Less mess than drilling holes like Dahmer did." said JJ.

"And Dahmer's method killed. This didn't."said Morgan.

"So either the unsub is lucky or he has medical training." said Alex.

"He wanted his victim to survive." said Morgan.

"We need to canvass the area where he was found. He wouldn't have walked very far in this condition." said Hotch.

"Well, lobotomies are considered to be the surgery of the soul. Doctors like Walter Freeman claimed they could cure a number of mental illnesses. He believed the procedure could relieve suffering." said Spencer as Anderson came into the doorway.

"Excuse me, Agent Hotchner. Agent Cruz is here." said Anderson as he gestured Cruz to enter the room.

"Oh. Everyone, this is our new section chief. This is Agent Mateo Cruz. These are agents Blake-." said Hotch.

Cruz decided to interrupt since he took a quick peek through the files to put faces to the agents he heard about while he looked at each agent as he addressed them.

"Blake, Dr. Reid, Morgan, Jareau, and Rossi. Good to officially meet you." said Cruz before turning around to look at Garcia, "Oh, and Penelope Garcia. Erin Strauss always spoke very highly of you." said Cruz.

"Oh. Thank you." said Garcia.

"I spoke to the Baltimore office. Seems like like they're at a loss." said Cruz.

"When the identity of the victim is unknown, it makes everything that much harder." said Hotch.

"I'd like to join you. It's not every day that these cases take you an hour away from home, so..." said Cruz.

"We leave in 20 minutes." said Hotch before looking at Spencer who was closing his file, "Sorry that we won't be able to celebrate your birthday at your house tonight, but you can pick out what restaurant we get take out from today."

"It's OK, because knowing Olivia she is willing to postpone my birthday dinner until after his case." said Spencer.

Cruz looked at Spencer.

"It's your birthday today?" asked Cruz.

Spencer made eye contact with Cruz as he spoke.

"Born 32 years ago today." said Spencer.

"Well happy birthday, Dr. Reid." said Cruz.

"Thank you." said Spencer before scurrying out of the room with Hotch, Morgan, Garcia, Alex, and Rossi and a few seconds later he met up with Morgan and Garcia.

"Happy birthday, old man." said Morgan as he gave Spencer a manly hug.

"You're calling me old man when I'm only 32 and you're 40?" asked Spencer.

"Happy birthday boy wonder." said Garcia as she hugged Spencer.

"I need to call Olivia to let her know that tonight's dinner got postponed." said Spencer.

Two minutes later Spencer was talking on his phone.

"What's up, Spencer?" asked Olivia.

"I have a case." sighed Spencer.

"It's OK that we postpone your birthday dinner for a later date. Where are you going?" asked Olivia.

"Baltimore, Maryland and we are driving there. And there's a possibility that I am coming home tonight." said Spencer.

"Just let me know if you're coming home." said Olivia.

"I promise, and I have to get going so I can get to the SUVs." said Spencer.

"Please stay safe, and I love you." said Olivia.

"I promise, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up as Cruz walked up to him.

"Called your wife, Dr. Reid?" asked Cruz.

"Yes sir." said Spencer as he realized that Cruz either noticed his wedding band or read his file.

Cruz took a look at the most recent Reid family portrait, and he couldn't help but show a small smile when he saw the photo of Spencer and a baby girl laying on their tummies staring at each other and a grinning toddler sat on her daddy's back before laying his eyes on a photo of Spencer with a baby boy that looked so much like his father.

"Your wife and kids?" asked Cruz as he pointed at the Reid family portrait.

Spencer's lips curled into a small smile as he made eye contact with Cruz.

"Yes, and I know that even though I could have done anything with my degrees, I am making the country a safer place for my kids." said Spencer.

"That's true, and how old are your kids?" asked Cruz.

"Piper's going to be 16 months old on the 17th, Albert and Ava are four months old, and Olivia and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary last month." said Spencer.

Cruz walked away to talk to Hotch and JJ approached Spencer.

"Happy birthday." said JJ as she hugged Spencer.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

* * *

Reid got into the back seat with Blake while Hotch and Cruz were in the front, and Spencer was glad that he was with Hotch and Alex.

After driving for a few minutes in silence, Hotch looked at Spencer from the rear view mirror to relieve some tension.

"How was celebrating your birthday with your dad, wife, and kids this morning?" asked Hotch.

"I got to eat breakfast in bed like I did the past two years, and I got to cuddle with the kids while eating. But other than Piper being the one to wake me up this morning, what Albert and Ava did today definitely made my day." said Spencer.

"What did they do?" asked Hotch.

"They both said Dada when I was saying goodbye to them." said Spencer.

"So that's why you were grinning when you walked into the bullpen this morning." said Hotch.

* * *

When they reached Baltimore, Spencer, Alex, Hotch, and Cruz started talking more about the case.

"A lobotomy is supposed to alter a patient's personality. But it's hard to know if that's what he was trying to do since the victim's a John Doe." said Alex.

"When it's used for torture, it's about complete power and control over the victim. Jeffrey Dahmer fantasized about men and he put battery acid in their brains so they couldn't escape." said Spencer.

"All because he was lonely, right?" asked Cruz as he looked at Hotch's two most educated agents.

"Yeah, extremely deranged sexual urges, irrational fantasies, and psychopathic tendencies." said Spencer.

"Looks like the victim is in his mid-20s, but no one matching his description has been reported missing in the tri-state area." said Alex.

"Well, if he's been arrested before, his prints will be in the database." said Cruz.

"The locals are running them now." said Hotch.

"Well, it's no accident the unsub chose a victim who won't be missed." said Alex.

"But if he's so meticulous in his hunting, how did he let his victim escape?" asked Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with Alex while Hotch and Cruz were looking at the boards.

"The victim was found just after dawn. It could mean the unsub has a job that requires him to leave early." said Spencer.

"My guess is his social skills are lacking, and that'll be reflected in his type of work." said Alex.

"S. A. C. is in the field but called to say whatever you need, you got it." said Cruz.

"The recovery site's surrounded by abandoned warehouses." said Hotch.

"He needs the desolation to enforce his power and control." said Spencer.

"There's a team looking through the building now." said Cruz.

"This unsub doesn't leave anything to luck. There was a garbage truck that sticks to a schedule." said Hotch as he called JJ while making sure that the phone is on speaker.

"Hey, Hotch." said JJ.

"Did you talk to the driver?" asked Hotch.

"Yeah, according to him, the victim looked and sounded like a zombie." said JJ.

"There's no way he made it far. Most of the buildings down here are boarded up. We're starting with the closest one." said Rossi.

"The victim was in such bad shape, he probably didn't walk the stairs by himself." said Hotch.

"He was either held on the first floor and luckily made it out..." said Rossi.

"Or he didn't escape at all. The unsub let him go." said Hotch as Cruz looked up.

* * *

Cruz and Alex came over to Spencer and Hotch.

"They ran the victim's prints, but he wasn't in any database." said Cruz.

"He doesn't have any track marks, and the tox screen is clean. This isn't the kind of guy who would hang out in that neighborhood." said Alex.

"It rules out the high-risk behavior theory, but it doesn't answer why he wouldn't be missed." said Cruz.

"That's what we're working on right now. What 20-something nowadays wouldn't be missed? I mean, with social media alone, there's constant contact." said Spencer as Cruz noticed some papers.

"What's this?" asked Cruz.

"Over 50 universities in the state, 50 more if you add D. C. and Virginia." said Hotch.

"The students are the most socially active of all. Why aren't we looking into someone with a more isolated existence?" asked Cruz.

"The low-risk behavior of the victim tells us a lot about his lifestyle. He might stalk the most isolated victims, knowing that they won't be missed." said Spencer.

"That's smart. Campuses are a great place to blend in, and all of those schools look within a two-hour drive." said Alex as Garcia called.

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch.

"There are over 100,000 kids enrolled in Maryland colleges alone, another hundred in Northern Virginia and the district." said Garcia.

"All right, send out a photo of the victim to all the campuses. Somebody's going to recognize him." said Hotch.

"And, sir, I did that search through ViCAP. Nothing in the states. So I figured it'd be OK to cast a wider net, and I asked a brilliant ex-coworker of ours, and guess what-Emily found a single incident on Interpol. It looked like a one-hit wonder until now." said Garcia.

"Where?" asked Hotch.

"Berlin." said Garcia.

"Thanks, Garcia." said Hotch.

"Before you hang up, Emily asked me to tell Reid that she said happy birthday." said Garcia.

"I will contact her later." said Spencer before Hotch hung up.

* * *

"The doctor's gonna see if he can remove the camera. He was blinking the whole time. It's how he communicated, but I don't know how I didn't see this sooner." said Morgan.

Spencer pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose a bit before he spoke.

"The eye is the most confined space in the body, which means the camera's probably 3 to 4 millimeters long and difficult to see without a microscopic lens." said Spencer.

"Is it a prosthetic eye?" asked Cruz.

"No. It's right next to the pupil." said Morgan.

"That must be the unidentified splinter the MRI showed." said Alex.

"It's an ocular nano-implant." said Cruz.

"All right, thanks." said Hotch before hanging up to address his team "Garcia's searching for the transmission, but it's bouncing all over the city."

"They're usually controlled by cell phone, which needs to be within a specific distance, so he's close." said Cruz.

"I know they've developed the technology, but it isn't widely known." said Alex.

"Actually it is, if you know who to call. Everything's on the black market. It's expensive but not high-tech." said Cruz.

"Should we be looking at micro surgeons?" asked Alex.

"There's no need. The camera itself is smaller than the point of a needle. That's usually how they're injected." said Cruz.

"That's weird. He fancied an old-fashioned technique for the lobotomy, but the camera tells us that he's technically inclined." said Spencer.

"What about this German victim? How does he tie in?" asked Morgan.

"The M. E. report says that he survived the lobotomy but was later shot in the head." said Hotch.

"Why?" asked Morgan.

"He was a test run for the current victim. Once the theory was proven, he was no longer needed." said Hotch.

"Did he install a camera in that victim's eye, too?" asked Cruz.

"No." said Hotch.

"There's something special about this guy. Where did their paths cross?" asked Morgan.

"Garcia's compiling a list of foreign exchange students." said Hotch.

"That should be a more manageable number." said Cruz.

"You would think so, but D. C. Has the highest concentration of exchange students in the nation, which means we're still looking at tens of thousands." said Spencer.

"We're also running facial recognition on student visas." said Alex.

"That's all good, but now what?" asked Cruz.

"We figure out why he's doing it." said Hotch.

* * *

"This escalation could be the unsub's message about the eyes being windows to the soul." said Alex.

"There's something to that. The same genes that develop the iris also shape the frontal lobe, which influences personality." said Spencer.

"Why is this part of his ritual now but it wasn't in Berlin?" asked Cruz.

"Well, that's unclear, but his first kill in Berlin means he has a significant connection there. He's likely visiting the U. S. and he feels out of place. And that may be how he connected with his victims. He's definitely had medical training. His German victim was a student, and the unsub may also be in those circles. We need to check currently enrolled medical students as well as recent dropouts, both here and abroad." said Hotch.

"He's clearly bright and capable. His torture suggests he's experimenting, which could mean he's bored." said Alex.

"But with his intelligence comes a dark side. And that's where his psychology and genetics come into play." said Spencer.

"How do you know those characteristics?" asked Cruz.

"We can only speculate, but if his victims do represent him, then he's telling us that he feels lobotomized and powerless." said Hotch.

"This could mean he was raised in a strict home or one where he didn't have a voice." said Alex.

"Do you think he was heavily medicated or institutionalized?" asked Cruz.

"Maybe. A majority of the lobotomy patients in the 1940s were mentally ill and resided in state-run institutions. The doctors there felt they were providing mercy to the patients, but the use of the camera tells us that this unsub wants his victims to suffer." said Spencer.

"And the emotional torture of being left paralyzed is a kind of overkill, and that occurs when there's a personal connection between the offender and the victims." said Hotch.

"He wants them to suffer, but he also wants to witness what it's like to be them." said Spencer.

"He's given himself a front-row seat." said Spencer.

"And now that he knows we're on the case, that kind of attention could cause him to escalate." said Hotch.

"How so?" asked Cruz.

"He may want us to see what he sees." said Hotch.

* * *

"The unsub is posting this on the web." said Garcia.

"Yeah, we're seeing it, too." said Hotch.

"I can't shut it down. It's going viral. It's streaming all over the globe." said Garcia as Spencer called Rossi.

"Hey, Rossi." said Spencer as he quickly explained what was going on.

"OK, we got it." said Rossi before hanging up.

A few minutes later they were talking about what they saw.

"You said he wanted us to see. So why not go to the media? Why the Internet?" asked Cruz.

"The media edits the message. The Internet doesn't." said Alex.

"He's calling our bluff. If we know who he is, we should come and get him." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer and Alex stood closer to the screen seeing the live feed while Spencer tried to shake the thoughts of Tobias Hankel from his mind.

"There's light coming from above." said Hotch.

"The ceiling's low. It could be a basement." said Spencer.

"What's he doing?" asked Cruz.

"Taunting us." said Hotch.

A few minutes later the unsub hammered something into Dana, and Spencer quickly flashed back to the time of watching Hankel murdering Patrick and Pam Hayes. He quickly shook himself out of the flashback as Hotch approached him since he saw the signs of Spencer having a flashback.

"Flashback?" asked Hotch.

"Yes." whispered Spencer.

"How about you take a break and call Olivia to see if the kids are awake." suggested Hotch.

"OK." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was standing outside and dialed Olivia's number.

"I was just about to call you since the kids wanted to hear your voice." said Olivia.

"Please put them on." said Spencer.

A minute later he heard Piper's voice.

"Hi, daddy." said Piper.

"Hey there Piper. Are you being good for mommy and grandpa?" asked Spencer.

"She sure is." said Olivia as she looked at Albert and Ava, "Who is that on the phone?"

"Dada." said Albert.

"Dada." said Ava.

"Hi Albert. Hi Ava." said Spencer.

Spencer heard the twins start babbling, and a minute later Olivia took her phone off speaker.

"How's it going?" asked Olivia.

"I'd rather talk about the case later, but Hotch, Alex, and I are working closely with our new Section Chief Mateo Cruz." said Spencer.

"What do you think of him so far?" asked Olivia.

"He's been pretty nice to me and he wished me a happy birthday when he found out that today's my birthday. He asked me about the kids when he saw the pictures on my desk." said Spencer.

At that moment Olivia smelled a stinky diaper.

"Well I have to get going since someone needs a diaper change, so please stay safe, and I love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

As soon as Spencer got back inside, he headed straight to the coffee machine where Cruz was fixing himself some coffee.

"Coffee's fresh." said Cruz.

"Good." said Spencer as he started fixing himself a cup.

"Cream?" asked Cruz as he held out a container of creamer to Spencer.

"Lactose intolerant, and everyone tries to monitor my dairy intake since I love eating dairy." said Spencer as he added a liberal amount of sugar to his coffee.

* * *

"Nothing he's doing has a sexual component, that we know of, anyway." said Alex.

"If he wanted to kill Sam, he had every chance to do it, but instead he let Sam go. Both of these victims are significant to him." said Spencer.

"It looks like he's playing a game, not just with us, but with all of them." said Alex.

"If it isn't sexual, but still has incredible stakes to him, maybe it's familial. I mean, he could be related to one of them." said Spencer.

"He's not just punishing her, he's torturing her family." said Alex.

"Garcia, we need the location of every cell tower where the signal's bouncing." said Hotch.

"That's a lot, sir, but I'm sending them now." said Garcia.

"What about the name Dani? Does it cross with Sam in any way?" asked Alex.

"There's a Dana Harris. It's not Dani, but he's called Dana Harris a dozen times, and she is on a student visa at Johns Hopkins, and, oh, my God, she's from Berlin." said Garcia.

"Does she have a connection to Baltimore other than school?" asked Spencer.

"Digging... Yes, yes. Her father is a partner at Strauss and Harris commercial real estate. They specialize in converting warehouses in port cities all over they world. They own one in Northern Baltimore. And wouldn't you know it? There's a cell phone tower right by there that that signal is bouncing from." said Garcia.

"What's the address?" asked Hotch.

"Sending it to your phones now." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer, Hotch, Alex, and Cruz headed to the address they were given.

"Why would he want us to see where they're going?" asked Cruz.

"Because he's arrogant. This is the end of his plan, and we're a part of it." said Hotch.

"Garcia, we think the unsub could be related to Sam or Dana." said Alex.

"The Harris family has a son, Anton, 29. History of violent outbursts had him bouncing between boarding schools all over Europe." said Garcia.

"While Dana stayed close to home." said Alex.

"How'd you know?" asked Garcia.

"He blames Dana for his rejection and abandonment issues." said Alex.

"It's a classic universal wound. Left untreated and combined with the psychopathic urges, that trauma led to extreme aggression." said Spencer.

"And a desperate need for attention. Let me guess, Garcia- one of the parents is a medical doctor." said Alex.

"Mom was before she died. It looks like young Anton was studying to be a veterinarian. Little sister trumped him by attending medical school at Hopkins." said Garcia.

"He did all this to get on his parents' radar." said Cruz.

"How long has Anton been in the states?" asked Hotch.

"A month into his 3-month visa." said Garcia.

"He waited until Dana was away from the family before he attacked." said Hotch.

A few minutes later Hotch, Spencer, Cruz, and Alex met up with Rossi and JJ.

"This isn't good." said Rossi.

"All right. Let's split up and search the building. Cruz, come with me." said Hotch.

Spencer followed Rossi and Alex.

* * *

Spencer stood with Alex while police officers placed Anton into a police car when Hotch and Cruz came outside and Cruz stopped walking for a phone call.

"Cruz. Copy that." said Cruz before hanging up and looked at everyone. "He's driving back with us."

A few minutes later Anton was in the middle seat of the SUV, and as Spencer was making his way to the back seat, Cruz looked at Spencer.

"How about you join Agent Hotchner up front while I sit in the back with Anton and Blake." said Cruz.

"Are you sure?" asked Spencer.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"I'd rather have you be up front with me instead of sitting next to Anton." said Hotch.

"I agree with Hotch and Chief Cruz, Spencer." said Alex.

"Alright." sighed Spencer as he got into the front seat of the SUV.

A few minutes later they were driving back to Virginia, and Spencer stayed silent as Anton looked at Alex.

"Do you have kids?" asked Anton.

"No." said Alex.

Anton looked at Cruz.

"Do you?" asked Anton.

"Yes." said Cruz.

"My father named me Anton because it means "invaluable." Do you think he ever believed that?" asked Anton.

"Why don't you ask him?" asked Cruz.

"I will." said Anton before looking at the two agents who were up front and decided to ask the same question that he asked the two agents who were on either side of him "Do you have kids? I noticed your wedding band." said Anton.

"Yes." said Spencer.

Anton looked at Hotch.

"You?" asked Anton.

"Yes." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his phone and quickly fired Olivia a text message.

I'M GOING TO BE COMING HOME TONIGHT AFTER POST CASE PAPERWORK IS FINISHED. ~SR

A minute later Spencer's phone vibrated.

I AM MAKING DINNER RIGHT NOW FOR YOUR DAD, PIPER, AND MYSELF~ OR

Spencer quickly texted Olivia again.

WHAT ARE YOU MAKING? ~ SR

A few seconds later Olivia replied.

SOFT SHELL TACOS, AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE LEFTOVERS FOR US TO EAT WHEN YOU GET HOME. ~ OR

* * *

Cruz entered the bullpen as he saw Spencer packing up.

"Going home to your wife and kids?" asked Cruz.

"Blake told me that she would take care of my post case paperwork for me as my birthday present so I can get home to Olivia and the kids." said Spencer.

"I really enjoyed working with you today Dr. Reid, and I'm definitely going to be learning a lot from you." said Cruz as he held out his hand for Spencer to shake and surprisingly Spencer shook Cruz's hand.

"I really enjoyed working with you today, too." said Spencer.

"You should head home so you can enjoy the rest of your birthday with your family." said Cruz with a small smile on his face, realizing that he's already developing a soft spot for Spencer.

"Hotch already told me to go home." grinned Spencer as he started rushing to the elevators.

* * *

Spencer entered the master bedroom after putting Piper to bed, and Olivia pounced on him right away and deeply kissed him. Before they knew it they were removing each others clothes and falling into bed.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer and Olivia were curled up together in bed, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Did you enjoy our own birthday celebration?" asked Olivia as she played with her husband's sweaty hair.

"Yes." said Spencer while he was playing with Olivia's hair.

"Let's take a shower before we check on the twins and get some sleep ourselves." said Olivia.

* * *

The following evening, Olivia placed a birthday cake in front of Spencer and after Happy Birthday was sung by everyone, Spencer closed his eyes and blew out the candles.


	6. Route 66

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds_

A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 5.

This chapter takes place one day after chapter 5 (So Spencer turned 32 two days prior, Piper's still 15 months old, and the twins are still four months old) due to the events in this chapter causing a two week time jump.

* * *

Spencer entered Albert's nursery with Ava in his arms and looked at Olivia who was making room for Ava.

"Albert's teething too?" asked Spencer softly as he passed Ava to Olivia.

"Yeah." sighed Olivia.

"I will get some Orajel." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was getting the Orajel out of the locked cabinet in the kitchen when William came into the kitchen.

"What are you doing up?" asked Spencer.

"I was getting something to drink, and I know that since you're still in your pajamas that means that you didn't get called in for a case." said William as he grabbed a glass before filling it with water from the sink.

"Both Albert and Ava woke up crying since they are teething, and Olivia is with them right now." said Spencer.

"Let me help you guys out with getting the twins to sleep so you can go back to sleep." said William.

"You don't have to, dad." said Spencer.

"It's currently 3:30 in the morning, and you have work in the morning." said William.

"OK." said Spencer.

A minute later Spencer and William were in Albert's nursery and Olivia looked at William.

"What are you doing up?" asked Olivia.

"I was thirsty, and I found Spencer in the kitchen." said William.

"Dad wants me to go back to bed since I have to get up at 6." said Spencer.

"He's right, so please go back to bed." said Olivia.

"Yes ma'am." teased Spencer as he pecked Olivia's lips before kissing the twins foreheads and left the nursery.

* * *

Later that morning Spencer headed straight to the coffee pot when he arrived at work, only to see Morgan there.

"Morning kid." said Morgan.

Spencer decided to retaliate as he grabbed his mug and poured himself a cup of coffee before fixing it to his liking.

"Morning, old man." said Spencer.

"You're really calling me old man?" asked Morgan.

"You're 40 while I just turned 32 two days ago." said Spencer before letting out a yawn.

"Had a little bit of loving with Olivia last night after the kids were put to bed?" teased Morgan.

"No." said Spencer as he let out another yawn.

"Then why are you tired?" asked Morgan.

"Your godchildren just started teething, and they are not happy babies right now." said Spencer as he took a sip of his finally doctored cup of coffee.

"Is there anything I could do to help you, Olivia, and your dad?" asked Morgan.

"There's not a lot that you can do since we are both on call 24/7, and I am lucky that my dad decided to retire and move out here to help Olivia and I out." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer woke up at 12:40 AM to a text message alert from his cellphone. He quickly grabbed his glasses, put them on and got out of bed as he noticed a missing child alert knowing that he would need to arrive at the BAU ASAP.

"Spencer?" asked Olivia as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes.

"Missing child alert in Wichita, Kansas, so I have to go in." said Spencer as he started to get dressed in the clothing he laid out as his phone vibrated and he saw a text from Alex.

NEED A RIDE? ~ AB

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

SURE, AND IT WOULD BE GREAT TO CATCH UP ON SOME SLEEP SINCE I WAS UP AN HOUR AGO TO TEND TO AVA. ~ SR

His phone vibrated a few seconds later.

BE THERE IN 10 MINUTES. ~ AB

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Alex will be picking me up in 10 minutes, so I better go wake up dad and ask him to come up here." said Spencer as he got his gun out of his safe and called his dad who answered on the second ring.

"Is there a case?" asked William.

"Yeah." said Spencer

"I will be up there in five minutes." said William.

* * *

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"I kind of miss seeing your mother's old car in the parking lot, but I can understand the reasons why you would buy a new car." said Rossi.

"I miss driving it too, but I am glad that I got the color I wanted." said Spencer.

"Just like the Tardis." said Garcia.

"Yep." grinned Spencer.

"Well, let me show you this." said Rossi as he pulled out his tablet and opened up a picture to show Spencer.

"Nice." said Spencer.

"I just put in new brakes. She's running like a dream." said Rossi.

"I always admired the aesthetic of the classic Torpedo C body, especially in the 1947. They just don't make them like that anymore." said Spencer as he was surprised at how wide awake he sounded.

"Yeah, well, I'm lucky to have found it. Uncle Sal would be proud." said Rossi as Hotch walked in.

Hotch noticed the photo that Spencer and Rossi were looking at as he spoke.

"Thank you for coming in, everyone. We can get started." said Hotch as he looked at his agents.

"OK. Guys, meet Samantha Wilcox, 16-year-old junior in Wichita, Kansas. Last night she snuck out with her boyfriend, they were attacked, she hasn't been seen since." said Garcia.

"Boyfriend got a broken jaw and a concussion." said Morgan.

"And the description of the attacker matches her father, Eddie Lee Wilcox." said Hotch.

"Ex-con." said Alex.

"Oh, is he ever. Still on parole. Eddie is a car thief and wheel man extraordinaire." said Garcia.

"String of assault charges, too. Been in and out of jail since he was a kid." said JJ.

"We don't usually work parental abduction cases." said Alex.

"We do when the abduction's violent and dad's a former convict." said Rossi.

"He hasn't been incarcerated in over 3 years. I mean he's had ample opportunity. Why pick yesterday to kidnap her?" asked Spencer as he thought about Piper, Albert, and Ava who were all sleeping safely in their cribs.

"Well, he beat the boyfriend within an inch of his life to do it, so taking her had to be real important." said Rossi.

"And apparently Eddie was none too pleased that Samantha's mom Melody had decided to remarry and then move from Chicago to Wichita." said Garcia.

"He lost visitation rights the last time he got locked up." said Alex.

"So the anger about that is the stressor that builds up over the years. Last night he decides to do something about it." said JJ.

"This could be vengeance for taking his daughter away." said Spencer as he thought about how protective he is over Piper and Ava while Olivia's extremely protective of Albert.

"If it's revenge against the mother, he'll either hurt Samantha or disappear with her." said Ross.

"She's been missing for over 5 hours, and we know how time sensitive these cases are. The AMBER Alert is expanding... every hour..." said Hotch as he realized he wasn't feeling so good "Excuse me." said Hotch as he tried to balance himself.

"Hotch!" shouted Morgan.

At that moment Hotch collapsed, causing everyone to get up.

"Aaron!" said Rossi.

Spencer knew that seeing Hotch collapse would be forever embedded in his memory.

* * *

After the plane was in the air, Rossi video chatted with them.

"Aaron is dealing with internal bleeding." said Rossi when he noticed concerned looks on Alex, Spencer's, JJ, and Morgan's faces while Spencer and Morgan were standing and Alex and JJ were sitting.

"Bleeding internally from what?" asked JJ.

"They think it's probably all the scar tissue." said Rossi.

"Torn adhesions from the stab wounds." said Spencer.

"George Foyet returns from the grave." said Morgan.

"What's the prognosis?" asked Alex.

"He's stable right now. Did an ultrasound, but they can't seem to see exactly where the bleeding was coming from." said Rossi.

"He'll need an exploratory laparotomy." said Spencer.

"Does Jack know?" asked JJ.

"Not yet. I talked to Haley's sister Jessica. We didn't want to worry the little guy." said Rossi.

"What about Beth?" asked Alex.

"Left a message, but she's on a business trip in Milan. Look, I know you're all worried. So am I. But a teenage girl has been abducted, and Hotch would want us to focus on the case, not on him. And that's exactly what we're gonna do. When the plane lands, Morgan, JJ, I want you to interview Samantha Wilcox's mother. Reid, Blake, you go check out the abduction site. I'm catching the next flight to Wichita and I'll meet you there." said Rossi.

"What about Hotch?" asked Alex.

"Garcia's here. She's not going anywhere. Now, let's go find this girl." said Rossi.

Spencer sent Jessica a text message while Rossi stayed on the screen.

IF YOU NEED ANYTHING PLEASE LET OLIVIA KNOW SINCE SHE'S AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HOTCH, AND SHE'S PRAYING FOR HIM RIGHT NOW. ~ SR

"I'm going to let Jessica know that if she needs anything to ask Olivia since I told her what's going on, and she's praying for Hotch right now." said Spencer as his phone vibrated.

THANK YOU SPENCER. ~ JB

* * *

Spencer sent Olivia a text message.

GARCIA JUST SENT ME A TEXT MESSAGE TELLING ME THAT HOTCH IS NOW IN SURGERY. ~ SR

Alex looked at Spencer.

"How are you doing?" asked Alex.

"Other than being called in an hour after changing Ava's diaper, seeing Hotch collapse is forever going to be embedded in my memory. Sometimes I just hate having an eidetic memory." said Spencer.

"But Olivia and the kids help give you good memories." said Alex.

"I know." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Alex were looking at the crime scene.

"This place is off the beaten path." said Spencer.

"Her mother said she snuck out late. He must have followed her here from her house." said Alex.

"Which suggests he may not have planned the abduction." said Spencer.

"He just waited for the right opportunity." said Alex as JJ and Morgan approached them.

Spencer found a cellphone and picked it up.

"Look at this. She left her cell phone behind." said Spencer as he realized he was glad that it's going to be a long time before his kids get their first cellphones.

"Odd for a teenage girl. Maybe she lost it in the struggle." said Alex.

"Or it's a forensic countermeasure so they can't be tracked with the GPS." said Spencer.

"Garcia got a hit on ViCAP. The day before yesterday, two masked gunman robbed a pawn shop in Chicago. 25k in cash and jewels were stolen." said Morgan.

"The owner and a customer were shot dead." said JJ.

"And so was one of the gunmen, except he was shot 8 times with a .45." said Morgan.

"Emptied the magazine. Overkill?" asked Spencer.

"You think our guy's the shooter?" asked Alex

"The dead gunman was one Christopher Corbone. He spent 6 years in the same cell block as Eddie Lee Wilcox." said JJ.

"They were partners." said Morgan.

"And Corbone was heavily connected to the Riggio family in Chicago. Mid-level Mafioso thug." said JJ.

"Sounds like a double-cross." said Alex.

"If he double-crossed his partner, he's not just on the run from the law, he could also be running from the mob." said Spencer.

"That explains why the need to grab his daughter was so urgent." said Alex.

"With good guys and bad guys on his tail, he has to know that this doesn't end well." said Morgan.

"It doesn't make sense. If he loves her so much, why put her in this type of jeopardy?" asked JJ.

"His desperation's making him irrational." said Spencer.

"He's gonna get dangerous if he gets cornered." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer, JJ, Rossi, and Alex were going through the crime scene at the gas station when Morgan came in.

"No news on Hotch yet. Samantha Wilcox was in touch with her dad a lot. I got their texts right here." said Morgan.

"May I?" asked Alex.

"Yeah." said Morgan as he passed Alex the phone.

"Thanks." said Alex as she read the text message, "I hate my life. Mom's a bitch. "Hubby's a tool, and Wichita blows. Why can't I live with you?" Then dad responds in kind, "Love you lots. We'll be together soon."" said Alex.

"She wanted him to come get her." said Morgan.

"Yeah, what if they planned it?" asked Spencer.

"I don't know. I'm not seeing anything logistical in nature here. It's all emotional outbursts at her mom and little loving missives to her dad." said Alex.

"I doubt if she had anything to do with this, though. Name's Damon Turner, 54-year-old widower, father of 3, and apparently he was expecting is first grandchild." said Rossi.

"No security cameras." said JJ.

"He had a shotgun stashed back there. I wonder why he didn't use it." said Rossi.

"Eddie must have gotten the jump on him before he could." said Alex.

"Guy recognizes Eddie, calls 911. Eddie clocks it, caps him to shut him up." said JJ.

"But the damage is already done. He already made the call. Why kill him? Why didn't Eddie just take off?" said Rossi.

Spencer found something on the counter and decided to take a look.

"He's in survival mode. He'll try to eliminate any perceived threats." said Morgan.

"He didn't rob the place. He left all the cash in the register." said Alex.

"He didn't have to. He had money from the Chicago robberies." said JJ.

"Actually, I think he may have. Look at this. Several items were rung up after the 911 call. A bag of chips, a pack of gum, and 6 post cards." said Spencer.

"Post cards? What does he want, a souvenir?" asked JJ.

"It's possible. He knows if he gets caught, he's going away for a long time, and being with his daughter may have evoke a need to commemorate the event." said Spencer.

"But post cards are old school. Being with his daughter might actually make him nostalgic in some way." said Alex.

"Well, he's headed due south, most likely straight to Mexico." said Morgan.

"He'll stick to side roads and won't cross the border anywhere busy." said Rossi.

"I'll extend the AMBER Alert and have Highway Patrol set up roadblocks." said JJ.

* * *

Meanwhile in Hotch's dream, Hotch was sitting in a theater and Haley smiled at the footage of her ex-husband reading to both Jack and Piper.

"Spencer got married over two years ago, and he and his wife Olivia had three children together since getting married. Piper's also my goddaughter." said Hotch.

"I already knew about Spencer's marriage and becoming a father since I watched you celebrate Piper's first birthday with Olivia's parents and Spencer's uncle Daniel, and your goddaughter definitely softened you up quite a bit over the past 15 months." said Haley as she watched a scene of her ex-husband blowing a raspberry on Piper's belly, causing the toddler to squeal with laughter as Hotch joined in.

"Piper's so much like her father in so many ways, and I was shocked when Spencer and Olivia asked me to be her godfather." said Hotch.

"It's one of his ways to say thank you for helping him turn into the man he is today while making sure that his and Olivia's relationship doesn't end up like ours did." said Haley.

"If you were still alive, I know that you would love Olivia like everyone else and I do." said Hotch.

"I would have loved her too especially since she's great with Jack, and having Spencer and his wife babysit Jack while Olivia was pregnant with Piper was a great way to teach them about what it's like to be parents." said Haley.

* * *

Spencer was standing outside with his teammates, giving police officers the profile on Eddie.

"As you all know, Eddie Lee Wilcox is armed and dangerous." said Rossi.

"He's also smart and criminally sophisticated. He knows police procedure and how to use it." said JJ.

"He's flush with cash from his robbery in Chicago, but he'll try to maintain a low profile, so he may resort to his robbery skills at some point." said Spencer.

"Eddie's a car thief and he's a good one. So he'll switch vehicles often." said Morgan.

"He was last seen in a Chevy minivan, but we do not count on him being in it for long." said JJ.

"So canvass crowded parking lots and malls. That's most likely where he'll ditch cars and find new ones." said Morgan.

"We've been calling this a child abduction, but Eddie's daughter Samantha may actually be an unwitting participant." said Rossi.

"We know she wanted to run away from home, and her father is somehow taking advantage of that." said Alex.

"This guy's evolved into a sociopathic spree killer, and he's got the ego of a career criminal, so there's no telling how far he'll go to save himself." said Morgan.

"That ego may be feeding a sort of pipe dream, that if he does escape, he may actually get to have a healthy relationship with his daughter." said Rossi.

"A relationship he believes was taken from him." said JJ.

"But when reality sets in, his dream will be shattered, and that's when Samantha will be in the most danger." said Alex.

"The majority of these cases end in either murder/suicide or suicide by cop." said Spencer.

"Up to this point, we've been reacting to him, but the roadblocks and the media blitz are set up to make him react to us." said JJ.

"So if you spot him, call for backup and proceed with extreme caution. He's probably sleep deprived and irrational." said Morgan.

"The closer we get, the more dangerous he becomes." said Rossi.

* * *

Spencer was sitting in the shade reading a book that Olivia gave him for his birthday when Morgan approached him.

"This guy's not coming." said Morgan.

"Mm, we really haven't been here that long." said Spencer as he turned the page of his book.

"Yeah, but if he wanted to make a run for the border, he'd have been caught in the net by now." said Morgan as he sat down.

"Maybe we made him switch directions." said Spencer.

"Well, we can't cover everything. Texas is huge." said Morgan.

"268,581 square miles, to be exact. Largest state in the contiguous 48 and the second-most populous. Don't mess with Texas." said Spencer as he thought about how he could entertain Morgan, "Hey, you want to read? Helps me when I'm anxious." said Spencer as he passed Morgan his book.

"The Magical Mathematics of Quantum Physics." I don't know. Nope. I'm good. I'll wait for the movie." said Morgan.

"Not all books end up being turned into a movie." said Spencer.

"Didn't Olivia give you this book for your birthday a few days ago?" asked Morgan.

Spencer flashed Morgan a grin.

"She did, and bought herself a copy since we are going to discuss this book when we're both done." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan were talking to passengers of vehicles that they were stopping so they could search when Morgan's phone rang.

"Thanks so much." said Spencer.

Morgan put his phone on speaker so Spencer could hear.

"Hey, what you got, good-lookin'?" asked Morgan.

"Still nothing on Hotch. I have a sort of something on Samantha Wilcox. She just called her mom from a motel in Odessa, but they weren't..." said Garcia before Spencer interrupted.

"That's only 103 miles west of here." said Spencer as he and Morgan headed back to their SUV.

"Alert local PD. We're on our way." said Morgan.

"Wait, wait, wait. I already did that. I called the police and Samantha and her dad are nowhere to be seen. Sorry, sugar." said Garcia before hanging up.

"He won't like the idea of her calling home. That phone call will probably drive a wedge between the two of them." said Spencer.

"We're close and he knows it. Maybe he'll make a mistake." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer was standing outside the motel as Morgan talked to the owner and a few minutes later Morgan approached him.

"Well, they left in a hurry. Owner says they were here less than an hour." said Morgan.

"And none of the motel guests saw anything." said Spencer as he and Morgan approached the others.

"Take a look at this robbery footage." said Alex.

"Chicago PD apologized for the delay." said JJ.

"Clearly not the first time they've done this." said Rossi as he and the others watched the footage.

"This the only angle we got?" asked Morgan.

"Cameras inside weren't working." said JJ.

"Muzzle flashes." said Spencer as he watched the gunshots happen.

"And they argue." said JJ.

"What about, though?" asked Alex.

"Shooting the people inside wasn't part of the plan." said Morgan.

"This is where it gets good." said JJ as they watched the shooting happen.

"The gun jammed." said Morgan.

"That explains the overkill." said Alex as Morgan's phone rang.

"He didn't double-cross his partner, his partner double-crossed him." said Spencer as Morgan answered his phone.

"Hey, girl. Got you on speaker. What's up?" asked Morgan.

"Hey, an unidentified male was just found shot and killed at a truck stop parking lot outside of El Paso." said Garcia.

"Sure that's our guy?" asked Alex.

"Well, a Mustang was reported stolen less than a mile from your current location. It's in the same lot." said Garcia.

"El Paso. He's on the border." said Alex.

"He wouldn't cross there, though. It's too busy. Go back through his life again, Garcia. He's feeling the heat, so he's gonna default to something familiar. The answer's in there somewhere." said Morgan.

"Done and done." said Garcia.

Rossi decided to ask the question that was on everyone's minds.

"Penelope. Any word on Hotch?" asked Rossi.

"Still no news, but I'm about to rouse the nurses for some intel." said Garcia.

"You go get 'em, girl." said Rossi.

* * *

A few hours later everyone was looking at the latest crime scene.

"My money says this guy caught Eddie trying to steal his car." said Rossi.

"There's a struggle, but Eddie gets the upper hand, shoots him in the gut, and then drags him over there." said Morgan.

"He takes his wallet, not because he needs money but so we can't I. D. him as quickly." said JJ.

"'Cause the minute we do, we know exactly what kind of car they're driving." said Spencer as Morgan answered his phone.

"Hey, break it down, baby girl." said Morgan.

"OK, here we go. Eddie's story is way more tragic than we thought. We know his mom died in childbirth and his dad committed suicide. What we didn't know was that he's the one who found his father's dead body." said Garcia.

"He was only 5." said JJ.

"Yeah. The postman called the cops when he smelled something horrible. Turns out that little kindergarten-sized Eddie was in the house with the corpse for two days, and it was in the middle of a crazy heat wave, so..." said Garcia.

"Wait a minute, Garcia. Eddie's father died February 2." said Spencer as he realized that Eddie was raised somewhere else.

"Uh, correctamundo." said Garcia.

"The average temperature in Chicago in February is 26 degrees Fahrenheit." said Spencer.

"Oh, no, they weren't in Chicago. The were in Los Angeles because his father had a job opportunity that fell through, which he apologized for in his suicide note that he wrote on a stack of post cards." said Garcia.

"Are you sure they drove?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah. Because the post cards were from stops they made along the way." said Garcia.

"I think I know where they might be headed." said Spencer.

"Where?" asked Rossi.

"Los Angeles, especially since his father committed suicide there." said Spencer.

Garcia decided to alert the LA Police Department about what was going on as everyone headed to the SUVs so they could fly to LA.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer and his teammates were standing at the scene where Eddie was holding his daughter hostage.

"Eddie Lee Wilcox, this is the FBI. We can work this out, but you have to let Samantha go. Come on, she's your daughter. Do the right thing, Eddie." said Morgan.

"Has he said anything yet?" asked Alex.

"Not a word." said Rossi.

"Statistically speaking, the longer this takes, the worse his daughter's chances get." said Spencer.

"I don't know. If he was gonna do something to her, he would have done it by now." said JJ.

"But now he's trapped. The game's changed." said Morgan.

"I'm gonna try something." said JJ as she started to explain what she wanted to do and a few minutes later they called Eddie.

"Eddie? Pick up the phone, man. We only want to help you. Come on, think about Samantha." said Morgan through the bullhorn and a minute later Spencer and the others were listening to JJ's side of the conversation.

A few minutes later they were discussing other plans.

"He's not coming out. SWAT should get ready." said Rossi.

As they watched for what was going to happen, Rossi brought up what was possibly going to happen.

"He lets her go, he either shoots himself or shoots his way out." said Rossi.

Spencer was the first to notice Samantha standing up.

"There she is." said Spencer as Sam started walking towards them before running back to her father

A few minutes later Samantha was coming back with her hands up and Eddie was following his daughter. They hugged before SWAT agents pulled them apart.

"No, no." cried Samantha.

"It's OK, it's OK." soothed Eddie.

"No, no! No! No! No! No, no, Dad!" cried Samantha.

"It's OK. It's OK." said Eddie.

"Dad!" cried Samantha as she was being led away.

"It's OK." said Eddie as he was handcuffed.

* * *

Garcia looked at her team from the monitor as they were settled for their flight home.

"Hotch is going to be fine, and he's going to be here for at least two days." said Garcia.

Everyone sighed in relief when they heard that their boss is going to be fine, and Spencer pulled out his cellphone and called Olivia as he headed to a quiet area on the jet.

"Have any updates on Aaron?" asked Olivia.

"He's awake, and is going to be in the hospital for about two days." said Spencer as he yawned.

"I will let you catch up on some sleep, and I will have a nice meal waiting for you when you get home." said Olivia.

"Love you." said Spencer.

"Love you too." said Olivia before hanging up.

As he was about to pocket his cellphone, it rang, and he saw that it was Hotch.

"Hey Hotch." said Spencer causing the others to look at him.

"Could you bring Piper to visit me tomorrow?" asked Hotch.

"I will bring Piper over tomorrow, but for now you should get some rest since Olivia told me to get some sleep too since we're on our way home." said Spencer.

"I will, and see you tomorrow." said Hotch before hanging up.

As Spencer pocketed his phone, JJ looked at him.

"What did Hotch want?" asked JJ.

"He asked me to bring Piper to the hospital tomorrow." said Spencer as he sprawled out on the couch to catch up on some sleep.

* * *

Spencer entered Hotch's room with Piper on his hip and Hotch smiled when he saw his goddaughter.

"Please bring Piper over, Reid." said Hotch as he held his arms out for his nearly 16 month old goddaughter.

A minute later Piper was laying in bed with her godfather, and Piper looked at at Hotch.

"You got a boo boo unca Aa-ron?" asked Piper.

"I do." said Hotch.

"Can I kiss boo boo ike daddy does en I got a boo boo?" asked Piper.

Hotch looked at his goddaughter's brown eyes that match her father's, and he was amazed at how Piper's vocabulary was for a 15 month old while thinking about when Haley told him that he also needed to come back for Piper since she needs her godfather.

"Sure." said Hotch as he showed Piper where he got hurt and a few seconds later Piper kissed where Hotch had surgery.

"All etter." said Piper as she smiled at her godfather.

"Thank you Piper, because I do feel better from your kiss." said Hotch.

Piper yawned before falling asleep, and Hotch adjusted his goddaughter so she would be more comfortable.

Spencer looked at Hotch as he watched him cuddle with a sleeping Piper.

"She was due for a nap and she refused to fall asleep unless she saw you." said Spencer quietly.

"You don't have to take her from me yet since I want to cuddle with her a bit longer." said Hotch quietly.

"How are you feeling?" asked Spencer.

"I'm doing better, and I'm sorry if I scared you when I collapsed." said Hotch.

"I guess we're now even since I scared you in March when I collapsed from a migraine right in front of you." said Spencer quietly.

After talking about anything but work for a half hour, a nurse entered the room and smiled at the sight of Piper sleeping with Hotch.

"Who is that cutie cuddling with you, Mr. Hotchner?" asked the nurse.

"My 15 month old goddaughter, Piper Ann Reid." said Hotch as he continued to stroke Piper's curly hair.

The nurse looked at Spencer as she checked Hotch's vitals.

"I assume that you're Piper's father?" asked the nurse.

"I am." said Spencer.

"Any other kids?" asked the nurse.

"Four month old fraternal twins named Albert and Ava, and my wife is at home with them right now while I spend quality time with Piper." said Spencer.

Piper woke up and saw a nurse smiling at her.

"Hi." said Piper as she waved at the nurse.

"Hi there, sweetie." said the nurse.

Piper turned her head to her daddy.

"I wet." said Piper.

"Well, let's go change your diaper before we head home so we can spend the rest of the day with mommy, grandpa, and your little brother and sister." said Spencer as he got up and extracted Piper from Hotch before looking at him, "Hopefully I will see you before you return to work, and you and Jack are welcome to come over for dinner when you get out of here."

"I will take that dinner invitation, and do you think you could have Jack stay at your house tonight so Jessica can take a break?" asked Hotch.

"Olivia and I would be glad to have Jack for a night, so I will call Jessica and ask her to get a bag ready." said Spencer as he leaned Piper forward so she could give Hotch a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Piper." said Hotch as he kissed her cheek before looking at Spencer, "Thank you for agreeing to take Jack." said Hotch.

"You're welcome, and I need to teach my apprentice some new magic tricks." grinned Spencer before walking out of Hotch's hospital room with Piper towards the restroom where he could change her diaper.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer was sitting in the living room reading to Piper and Jack who were sitting on either side of him.


	7. In the Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for being the 25th reviewer of this story, and also a shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, and Chermayne for reviewing chapter 6._

 _This chapter takes place two weeks after the last chapter so Piper's now 16 months old, and at the end of this chapter Albert and Ava will be five months old since they were born on May 29th._

 _I hope you guys enjoy the description of Spencer's, Olivia's, Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's Halloween costumes in this chapter._

* * *

Spencer was pushing the cart at the grocery store for Garcia.

"Why didn't you recruit Morgan to help you with shopping for your party?" asked Spencer.

"I barely see you except for work, and I wanted to find out what my godchildren are going to be for their first Halloween." said Garcia.

"I'm still under orders not to tell, and you will find out after Halloween when you see the pictures that my dad takes of Olivia, the kids, and I in our costumes." said Spencer.

"Are you and Olivia going to bring the kids to my party next week?" asked Garcia.

"We're not." said Spencer.

"Why?" asked Garcia.

"Dad suggested that Olivia and I come without the kids since we deserve a child free evening, and it would be bedtime for the kids during your party." said Spencer.

"Makes sense. So who are you and Olivia putting on my alter?" asked Garcia.

"Uncle Daniel, and Olivia's going to do her parents." said Spencer.

Garcia checked the cart.

"I think we have everything we need, so let's pay for it and drop the groceries by my house before going to your house for lunch." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer followed Garcia into her apartment while he carried the three bags of groceries that he helped her buy.

"OK, just put everything on the counter and I'll put it away later." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at the alter that Garcia was talking about earlier.

"I like your altar." said Spencer as Garcia shut her door.

"Thank you. Yeah, there's still a lot to do before the party next week, and... I'm scared. I've never had the whole team here before." said Garcia as Spencer started unloading a bag.

"Why are you doing a Day of the Dead theme?" asked Spencer.

"Well, uh, my stepfather's family always made a big deal of it in Mexico, and my name is Penelope Garcia, after all, so... Hey, could you check my refrigerator and see if I have enough hot sauce?" asked Garcia.

Spencer made his way to Garcia's fridge as she removed her glasses and squeezed some fake blood under her eyes to allow it to stream down her face and he spoke as he removed the jar of eyeballs from the fridge.

"You have some jalapeno sauce here next to this jar of eyeballs, but I think you're gonna need more, depending on which guacamole you plan on making." said Spencer before seeing the fake blood on Garcia's face. "You OK?"

"You didn't even flinch. JJ's right. I told her I wanted to go scary this Halloween, and she just laughed at me and she said that I don't have a scary side." said Garcia.

"I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, you probably do." said Spencer.

"Really?" asked Garcia.

"Yeah. The building blocks of the human personality are complex, varied, and multi-faceted. It's essential to one's mental health to want to express these hidden personalities, and it's a fact of nature that everybody has one." said Spencer.

"Everybody? You have one?" asked Garcia.

"Oh, absolutely. Yeah." said Spencer.

"OK. OK. I want to see it. I want to see Dr. Spencer Reid's hidden personality." said Garcia.

"Uh-you, uh- right here? Like right now you want to see it?" asked Spencer.

"I have fake blood running down my cheeks right here, right now." said Garcia.

"OK. Once you see it, you can't unsee it." said Spencer.

"OK." said Garcia.

Spencer grunted deeply as he had his hands on his head before moving them to his side.

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, did that guy just fire 5 shots? Or did that guy just fire 6 shots? You're gonna have to ask yourself a question. Do you feel lucky, punk?" said Spencer before returning back to his normal self, "That's Clint Eastwood, in "Dirty Harry."

"Oh." said Garcia.

"I mean, I know it's not as effective," said Spencer as Garcia's phone vibrated, "as my dominant personality, but I feel like there's-" rambled Spencer.

"Hey, look, we gotta go." said Garcia as she grabbed her keys and purse.

"These eyeballs, do they need to be refrigerated-?" asked Spencer.

"No. Let's go." said Garcia.

A few minutes later they were in Garcia's car Esther, and Garcia looked at Spencer.

"Do you need to stop at home to get your bags, badge, and gun?" asked Garcia.

Spencer patted his messenger bag.

"My revolver, holster, and badge are currently in here since I have a concealed carry permit, and since we didn't have a case during this week I left my go bag in my Bureau issued locker." said Spencer as he sent Olivia a text message.

GARCIA AND I WON'T BE COMING HOME FOR LUNCH SINCE WE JUST GOT CALLED IN FOR A CASE, AND I WILL CALL YOU AFTER I FIND OUT WHERE I AM GOING. ~ SR

"Did you let Olivia know that she won't be expecting us?" asked Garcia.

"Just did." said Spencer as his phone vibrated.

DO YOU HAVE EVERYTHING? ~ OR

Spencer quickly sent Olivia a reply.

I ALREADY HAD MY GUN AND BADGE IN MY MESSENGER BAG, AND I LEFT MY GO BAG IN MY LOCKER AT WORK. ~ SR

* * *

Spencer entered the conference room with his teammates and was surprised to see Hotch back.

"Oh, I recognize that face from somewhere." said Rossi.

"It's good to have you back, Hotch." said Morgan as he patted Hotch on the shoulder.

"It's good to be back. Thanks." said Hotch as Spencer took a seat next to him, "And under the heading of no rest for the weary..."

"A woman was found dead yesterday near Provo, Utah, buried under a pile of rocks. Her face was smashed. Her head was smashed. Pretty much everything smashed." said Garcia.

"24 hours later she's still a Jane Doe?" asked Spencer.

"No personal items were found at the scene, and the severity of her injuries made official recognition impossible." said Hotch.

"So Provo missing persons has like zero intel on her." said Garcia.

"Well, it looks like the victim was tortured. Lacerations on both arms and a burn in the neck area." said Morgan.

"It could be the killer's way of silencing her, literally and figuratively." said JJ.

"The robe she's in almost looks ceremonial." said Rossi.

"Yeah, the unsub must have changed her clothing." said Spencer.

"Could be a straight-up woman hater. Took away her clothes, her voice, her identity." said Morgan.

"And then covered her with rocks. Might be a concealment or an expression of remorse." said Alex.

"It looks like a makeshift tomb, if you ask me." said Rossi.

"Have there been similar killings in the area?" asked JJ.

"None that we know." said Hotch.

"I'm impressed, Hotch. How'd you get the brass to let us investigate a single, isolated murder?" asked Rossi.

"I told them that the ritualistic nature means that he's forensically sophisticated and organized and he's likely killed before." said Hotch.

"And likely will kill again." said Alex.

"Which means we can't waste time. Wheels up in 20." said Hotch.

Spencer called Olivia as he started walking toward the locker rooms to grab his go bag.

"So where are you going?" asked Olivia.

"Provo, Utah and we're leaving in 20 minutes so I can't talk long." said Spencer as he entered the locker room and found his Bureau issued locker.

"Has Garcia grilled you about our Halloween costumes when you helped her with shopping?" asked Olivia as she heard Spencer unlocking a locker in the background.

"She has since that was one of the reasons she elected me to help her shop for her party, and I told her that I am under your orders to not say anything at all." said Spencer as he grabbed his go bag before shutting his locker and locking it.

"I will let you go so you can catch your flight, and please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I promise and I love you and the kids." said Spencer.

"Love you too." said Olivia before hanging up.

* * *

"Single victim, unidentified. Not much to go on." said JJ.

"Let's start with the basics. Those rocks were heavy, so our killer's most likely male, probably in good physical shape." said Morgan.

"There could be more than one unsub." said Alex.

"Newsflash. We just got lucky with dental records. Our Jane Doe is Gloria Carlyle, 24-year-old grammar school teacher. One red flag, and it's pretty Scarlet, carmine, crimson. She used to belong to a utopian-style sect in town. She joined it right out of high school." said Garcia.

"Used to belong?" asked Rossi.

"Mm-hmm. She left the sect 3 months ago and she moved in with her boyfriend." said Garcia.

Spencer's mind started racing through which sects Gloria could have joined, based on news articles he has read.

"Do we know the boyfriend's whereabouts?" asked JJ.

"He's in Alaska, so his alibi's as solid as a pre-globally-warmed glacier." said Garcia.

"Garcia, is this sect run by a man named Herbert Sykes?" asked Spencer.

"Wonder boy, yes, it is. How'd you know that?" asked Garcia.

"5 years ago a teenage girl was found dead on the grounds of his compound. It was determined to be an honor killing of sorts. The girl was stoned to death." said Spencer.

"The rocks appear to be the cause of death in Gloria's murder as well." said Alex as she realized that Spencer could be onto something.

"The red flag just got redder." said Rossi.

"All right, Dave, you and Blake find out what you can about Gloria Carlyle from the medical examiner. Morgan and Reid, go to the crime scene. JJ and I will talk to Gloria's family as well as have a chat with Herbert Sykes." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer, Morgan, and Sergeant Mahaffey were reaching the top of the mountain where Gloria was found.

"A couple of fossil hunters nosing around up here found her." said Sergeant Mahaffey.

"Those the rocks?" asked Morgan as they reached the top.

"My men moved them off her body. But that's all anyone's touched them." said Sergeant Mahaffey.

"These are sedimentary conglomerates with rounded clasts." said Spencer.

"If you say so." said Sergeant Mahaffey.

"That means that geologically speaking, they don't belong up here. The rest of this canyon is tertiary rhyolite volcanics, which means the unsub must have brought these rocks with him." said Spencer.

"Which would be noisy and time-consuming. So the unsub obviously felt comfortable enough up here to take the time that he needed." said Morgan.

"He's probably been here before." said Spencer as he took a look around the surroundings.

"Sergeant, how wide was the radius of your initial search?" asked Morgan.

"We canvassed out about 200 yards in all directions. We didn't find anything." said Sergeant Mahaffey.

"Well, we may need to push that out a little further." said Morgan.

Spencer removed his prescription sunglasses despite not being able to see at all to see a screeching bird flying in circles nearby before grabbing his glass case from his pocket and switching to his regular glasses.

"You two ready to climb down?" asked Sergeant Mahaffey.

"Yeah, and I am familiar with terrains like this since I grew up one state to the left from here." said Spencer

"You're from Nevada?" asked Sergeant Mahaffey.

"Yes, and I didn't live far from the Mojave Desert." said Spencer.

A short while later they reached the bottom of the mountain, and Spencer took a look at his surroundings.

"What used to be up here? The dirt road leading in seems rather substantial." said Spencer.

"Salt mining. Hauled the stuff out by the truckloads. These hills filled a hell of a lot of salt shakers." said Sergeant Mahaffey.

"Actually, less than 6% of salt in the United States is used for food. The vast majority of it goes for de-icing roads and snow control." said Spencer.

Morgan decided to alert Spencer and Sergeant Mahaffey that he found a body.

"Guys. Over here." said Morgan.

A few seconds later Spencer and Sergeant Mahaffey looked at the body.

"You're right. The killer's been here before." said Spencer grimly.

"And he seems to have a preference for blondes." said Morgan.

* * *

As Spencer was heading back to the station with Morgan and Sergeant Mahaffey who was their driver, his phone vibrated and he grinned when he saw a picture of Piper, Albert, and Ava together after a messy meal.

"A picture of the kids?" asked Morgan.

"Yeah, and they had a messy dinner." said Spencer.

"Are you even going to tell me what you, Olivia, and the kids are going to be for Halloween this year?" asked Morgan.

"I'm not telling you, and no hints either." said Spencer.

"How old are your kids?" asked Mahaffey.

"Piper's 16 months old, and Albert and Ava are turning five months old on the 29th." said Spencer.

* * *

The following morning Spencer updated the clear board with the crime scene photos that were sent over.

"So this guy's killing men now." said Mahaffey.

"Parker Mills must have had a hidden or perceived connection to the other victims." said Alex.

"Or Mills got in the way somehow and had to be killed so the unsub could return to his preferred victim type." said Spencer as he crossed his arms.

"Then why bother with the cutting and throat burning?" asked Alex as an officer brought the tox report.

"Excuse me." said an officer as he gave Alex the report she requested and after reading it she spoke up.

"Interesting." said Alex.

"What is it?" asked Spencer.

"Tox report on Abby Stafford. Our conservative, studious girl had cocaine in her system at the time of her death." said Alex.

Spencer squinted his eyes in thought before turning his head to the board to look at the photo of Abby Stafford.

* * *

"We're looking for a physically fit male from his late 20s to mid 30s. He's brazen, confident, and organized." said Hotch.

"This person may be a moral vigilante. Abby Stafford had drug issues. Gloria Carlyle moved in with her boyfriend. Parker Mills was a sexual deviant." said Morgan.

"Moral vigilantism typically has its roots in repression and guilt. This generally manifests itself in low self-esteem and self-loathing. By punishing others, the unsub may also be punishing himself." said Spencer.

"He's also literally branding his victims. We're not sure why, but he's likely marking them as his own." said Hotch.

"His organizational skills suggest someone who can get and keep a full-time job." said Alex.

"But the work is likely low level. His impaired social development would not allow him to move very far in the professional world." said Rossi.

"Consequently, this is someone working in solitude, having minimal interaction with others." said JJ.

"And this makes it a challenge to determine how and where this person is choosing his victims." said Morgan.

"The two female victims were reserved and studious. Parker Mills lived quietly in the margins of conventional society." said Spencer.

"So the killer may frequent or work in locations that attracts this type of person. Uh, places of solitude, contemplation." said JJ.

"Museums, gardens and parks, bookstores." listed Alex.

"His choice of a city square rather than a remote canyon means he's gaining confidence." said Rossi.

"But the recklessness of killing in such a public space suggests that this confidence may be stemming from a delusion." said Morgan.

"He may believe he's in a place and time that makes him invulnerable." said JJ.

"And if his delusion is gaining in strength, then his next killing may be riskier and more dramatic. Thank you." finished Hotch.

An hour and one trip to the library later, Spencer approached Sergeant Mahaffey with a stack of books in his arm with another officer who helped him during his trip to the library.

"Mind if I borrow your office to read these books so I can find something about the brand that was used?" asked Spencer.

"Why not read at the conference table?" asked Sergeant Mahaffey.

"I just don't like being stared at when I read, especially since I read 20,000 words per minute." said Spencer.

Sergeant Mafaffey whistled.

"You can definitely use my office." said Sergeant Mahaffey before turning his attention to the officer who was holding a big stack of books, "If Dr. Reid needs anything, please get it to him." said Mahaffey.

"Yes sir." said the officer.

A few minutes later Spencer was settled on the floor of Mahaffey's office picking up the first book, and Sergeant Mahaffey watched Spencer read for a minute before leaving his office.

For the next hour, Spencer was mumbling to himself as he read book after book while trying to figure out why that brand looked familiar. While he was reading an officer would bring him coffee and snacks and before he knew it he found what he was looking for and took the book to Hotch and the others.

"Guys, check this out." said Spencer as he approached his teammates.

"What have you got?" asked Hotch.

Spencer showed Hotch the book he was reading.

"The pattern in the branding mark has design characteristics similar to family crests from the late middle ages. I found this encyclopedia of heraldry and look." said Spencer.

"It's the seal of William Stoughton, a Magistrate." said Hotch.

"Check when and where he's a Magistrate." said Spencer.

"Salem, Massachusetts, 1692." said Rossi.

"Stoughton was the lead prosecutor in the Salem Witch trials." said Spencer as he showed Hotch and Rossi a picture he printed out.

"So this unsub believes he's hunting witches." said Hotch.

Spencer nodded as he set the book on the table and removed his glasses to rub his eyes.

"It's a good thing you were wearing your glasses instead of your contact lenses." said Hotch.

"I know." said Spencer.

* * *

"Our unsub chose the right role model. Stoughton was the most ruthless of all of the Salem prosecutors." said Alex.

"Our killer's also emulating the methods of execution at the time of the trials. Witches were thrown off cliffs, hung, slowly crushed by rocks." said Spencer.

"So the family crest thing, is that his way of honoring the guy?" asked Sergeant Mahaffey.

"It's more than that. He may believe he's a direct descendant of Stoughton." said Hotch.

Spencer decided to address Garcia who was on the phone with them.

"Garcia, were you able to run a history yet of the Stoughton family tree?" asked Spencer.

"It isn't so much a tree as it is a giant sequoia- branches, twigs, roots, sticks, limbs, pine cones, woodpecker holes. There are literally thousands of Stoughton's descendants out there." said Garcia.

"Are there any in the Provo or Salt Lake city area?" asked Alex.

"Yeah, there's a handful, but none of them fit the unsub's profile." said Garcia.

"Can you send me the Stoughtons' ancestry chart?" asked Spencer.

"Did you hear the part I said about the giant Sequoia? I can send it to you, but unless your laptop screen is the size of a drive-in movie theater-." said Garcia.

"Send it anyway. We'll print out a hard copy here." said Spencer.

"I'm going to send the side of the tree that migrated westward, and do not say I did not warn you." said Garcia.

Alex looked at Spencer.

"You're going to need a bigger copy machine." said Alex.

Spencer nodded.

* * *

Spencer was mumbling to himself as he examined the family tree that Hotch and JJ helped him piece together with Hotch near him while JJ and Sergeant Mahaffey stood in the background, watching him work.

"I've learned to stop asking questions about this guy." said Sergeant Mahaffey quietly to JJ as he thought about the conversation he had with Spencer the day before.

Spencer allowed dates and locations to pop up in yellow before he laid his eyes on one certain name, causing JJ to notice.

"What's up, Spence?" asked JJ.

"There's something strange about this one branch of the family tree. Garcia?" asked Spencer.

"Talk to me. I am fluent in genius." said Garcia.

"Roy and Becky Danary, they died in 1985, leaving behind a son named William Danary, but there's no record of what happened to him." said Spencer.

"The Danarys were Peace Corps workers in Ecuador. They died in a car accident there. And you're right, their kid just sort of vanished. Let me do some digging and I will call you back." said Garcia before hanging up.

"All right, well, we profiled the unsub as delusional. What if Stoughton being a great-great-great-whatever is just part of his delusion?" asked JJ.

"Or the discovery of being a direct descendant triggered the delusion." said Hotch.

"He looked into his ancestry." said Spencer.

"That would be easy to do here. Salt Lake City has the largest family history library in the world." said Sergeant Mahaffey.

"Gloria Carlyle researched Herbert Sykes' ancestry." said Hotch.

"Abby Stafford was a bookish college student." said Spencer as he continued to look at the family tree.

"Maybe that's where they crossed-at a library." said JJ.

"JJ, have Garcia get the names of all the employees and volunteers in the Provo and Salt Lake City library system and cross-check those with descendants of William Stoughton." said Hotch.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with his teammates when Garcia called them back.

"Hey, I have a thing." said Garcia.

"What is it, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"No library employees are direct descendants of William Stoughton. However, there is a volunteer with a fascinating family history there. Leland Duncan, son of Orland and Clara Duncan, Mormon missionaries." said Garcia.

"But the Duncans aren't part of the Stoughton lineage." said Spencer.

"But, a big kiss to who can guess where they were doing their missionary work in 1985." said Garcia.

"Ecuador." said Hotch.

"Ding, ding, we have a winner." said Garcia.

"Same time and place as the Peace Corps couple that died and left a son." said JJ.

"So the Duncans adopted the boy and changed his name." said Hotch.

"I'm sending you a current photo of Leland Duncan along with his home address. There." said Garcia.

JJ looked at her tablet.

"Thanks." said Hotch before hanging up before looking at Spencer who looked exhausted, "I am going to have an officer take you to the hotel so you can catch up on some sleep since you have been up the past 24 hours." said Hotch.

"I definitely need a nap due to all that reading I did since I am developing a small migraine from the lack of sleep, so I am not going to argue with you." said Spencer.

* * *

A few days later Spencer grinned at the sight of Olivia dressed up as Little Bo Peep.

"You make a beautiful grown up Little Bo Peep." said Spencer.

"And you make a handsome farmer who married Little Bo Peep." said Olivia.

"Should we go round up our sheep?" asked Spencer as his way to refer to Piper, Albert, and Ava.

Olivia laughed as she lightly slapped her husband on the chest.

"We should go round them up so pictures can be taken for your mom, aunt, and uncle." said Olivia.

A few minutes later William was getting ready to take a picture of his smiling son and daughter in law holding their three little sheep on their hips.

"Can you say baa?" asked William.

"Baaa." said Spencer, Olivia, and Piper in unison as Albert and Ava stared at their grandfather.

* * *

The following morning, Spencer was having a meeting with his teammates and Garcia looked at Hotch, Spencer, and JJ.

"Don't you three have pictures to show off from last night?" asked Garcia.

"I guess I will go first." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and a few seconds later he was showing his teammates the pictures that his father took.

"Aww." cooed Garcia.

"Little Bo Peep theme?" asked JJ.

"Yeah." said Spencer.

"At least you and Olivia get to choose costumes for now, but probably next year Piper will want to pick out her costume." said Hotch.

"I know, and I really can't believe it that Albert and Ava turned five months old a few days ago." sighed Spencer.

* * *

Spencer and Olivia were curled up together on one of Garcia's couches when Morgan looked at them.

"Why didn't you two bring the kids?" asked Morgan.

"Dad wanted us to have a child free evening." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were standing around Garcia's altar with Spencer's teammates each holding pictures and figurines in their hands.

"OK, everybody, I guess it's time to start. Here you go, sir." said Garcia as she passed Hotch a glass of wine.

"Thank you." said Hotch.

"Uh... I want to thank everybody for doing this with me, and our altar's burning, and I just feel so blessed to have you all here. I will start. Uh..." said Garcia as she placed a picture on the alter, "This is my mom and dad. I miss them." said Garcia before adding another photo, "And this is my cat Simba with his usual bowl of soda pop. He was a weird cat." said Garcia gaining some laughter.

"OK. Who's next?" asked Garcia.

"Uh, OK. Well, uh, this is my sister Roslyn. Ros." said JJ as she put a picture of her sister on the alter, "She always dreamt that someday she'd live in Paree, so, um...it didn't happen, but I thought this would bring her some happiness." said JJ as she placed a miniature Eiffel tower figurine on the altar.

"Private First Class Darryl Jenson. We lost him during the Tet offensive." said Rossi as he placed a photo along with some tickets on the altar.

"What are the tickets?" asked Morgan.

"Opening day next season, Wrigley, right behind the home dugout. Jenson was a diehard Cubs fan." said Rossi.

"Sweet." said Morgan.

Alex then put a picture with a crossword puzzles book on the altar.

"Um... My mom. She was the one who got me into crossword puzzles- no erasing allowed- which got me into linguistics." said Alex.

"You said we could bring more than one, right?" asked Spencer.

"Oh, yes. This is a come one, come all altar." said Garcia.

Spencer placed a photo of his uncle Daniel and himself at three years old sitting in front of a chess board and set a chess piece on the alter.

"This is uncle Daniel, and he was the one to teach me how to play chess when I was three years old." said Spencer before grabbing the other photo that he brought and setting it up there, "It's Nikola Tesla. I figured he's probably been inventing things on the other side, so hopefully he'll bring something to us."

Morgan looked at Olivia.

"Ladies first." said Morgan.

Olivia placed her parents wedding photo on the altar with a small Big Ben figurine.

"My mom and dad, and there are days that I really miss them. They had their honeymoon in London, and they were hoping to take me to London after I finished college, which didn't happen." said Olivia before stepping back to her husband who wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Maybe we can eventually take a trip there this summer." whispered Spencer into Olivia's ear.

Morgan placed a photo of his dad with a cigar on the altar.

"I guess that's me. OK. I brought... My pops. He was a cigar aficionado, big time." chuckled Morgan, "And, actually, Rossi, he was also a huge Cubbies fan, so I was thinking maybe he and private Jenson over there, maybe they could go to the game together." said Morgan.

"They can sort that out when they get here." said Rossi.

Hotch placed a picture of Haley on the alter and everyone was silent.

"Well, I guess this is proof positive that ancestry ain't all bad." said Rossi.

"How about a toast to the... 30 or 40 of us?" asked Garcia.

Everyone clinked their glasses together.

"Cheers." said Spencer and Olivia in unison.

"Cheers." said JJ.

"Cheers."

"Cheers."

"Salud." said Rossi.

After everyone at least clinked glasses, they took a sip of their drinks or non-alcoholic beverages.

* * *

 _A/N: There is a little bit of foreshadowing in this chapter that will take place in a future chapter in this story since I am still going to deal with the storyline of Spencer getting shot._


	8. Gatekeeper

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and I also don't own the song that Spencer and Olivia will sing together in this chapter.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5 and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 7._

 _OhSnapItsMadison: It's going to be awhile before there's another Baby Reid. Olivia's still nursing the twins and she never had a sip of an alcoholic beverage in her life._

* * *

Spencer was packing up for the day when Rossi approached his desk.

"I'm ready when you are." said Spencer.

"After spending time with my honorary grandchildren I'm kidnapping you for a few hours." said Rossi.

"You do know that kidnapping a federal agent is a federal offense." said Spencer with a slight smirk on his face.

"Smart-ass." said Rossi.

"Olivia frequently calls me that." smirked Spencer as he grabbed his go bag, "I just need to run my bag to my locker." said Spencer.

"How about you store your go bag in my office for safe keeping instead of running it to your locker, and my office is unlocked at the moment." said Rossi.

"OK." said Spencer as he quickly bounded up the steps to drop off his go bag in Rossi's office.

Two minutes later Spencer and Rossi were heading to the elevators.

"Did you drive or take the train?" asked Rossi.

"I took the train." said Spencer.

"Well then I'm your ride home." said Rossi.

* * *

Spencer and Rossi entered the Reid family home, and as soon as Spencer hung up his jacket he felt Piper collide with his legs.

"Daddy!" squealed Piper.

Spencer scooped Piper up and blew a raspberry on her cheek, causing her to laugh even more.

"Dada." said Albert as he crawled over to his father.

Spencer set Piper down to pick up Albert and Piper looked at Rossi.

"Hi, Papa Dave." said Piper.

"You definitely grown since the last time I seen you." said Rossi as he scooped up Piper, "What has your mommy, daddy, and grandpa William been feeding you?" asked Rossi as he tickled the toddler's tummy, causing her to laugh.

"Food." giggled Piper.

Olivia entered the living room.

"Hey." said Olivia.

"Where's dad?" asked Spencer as he walked over to Olivia and pecked her on the lips.

"Changing Ava's diaper, and dinner should be done in five minutes." said Olivia before turning her attention to Rossi, "Hey Dave." said Olivia as she hugged Rossi.

Five minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, Rossi, and Piper were eating dinner and Albert and Ava sat in their high chairs while Spencer and Olivia fed the twins pureed carrots while eating their own dinner.

* * *

Spencer and Rossi got into their seats at The Benjamin when Rossi's friend Helen came over to them.

"Who is this nice looking young man with you Dave?" asked Helen.

Spencer's face heated up a bit as Rossi chuckled.

"My youngest coworker Dr. Spencer Reid, and he's already taken since he's the father of my honorary grandchildren that I have been telling you about." said Rossi.

"Now I have to see a picture of your little cuties that Dave has been telling me about." said Helen.

Spencer pulled out his phone and showed Helen a picture of his kids.

"Piper's 16 months old, and Albert and Ava are both five months old." said Spencer.

"They're gorgeous, and Albert looks just like you." cooed Helen.

"Piper also has her father's eyes." said Rossi.

"Now, what would you two like to drink?" asked Helen.

"An Arnold Palmer please." said Spencer.

"A devil honey." said Rossi.

"I will be back in a few minutes." said Helen as she walked away.

"So how's your mom doing?" asked Rossi.

"She's doing pretty great, and sometimes I wish that she would agree to transferring to a hospital near Washington DC so she can see her grandchildren more often. But I know that since she has been in the same hospital for over 14 years it would be hard for her to transition to a new environment." said Spencer.

"I bet she enjoys all the pictures and videos you send her of the kids." said Rossi.

"She does, and she's begging dad, Olivia, and I bring the kids to Vegas for Christmas this year since she knows that I have to spend Thanksgiving here in DC." said Spencer.

Rossi made a mental note to pay for the plane tickets since there was going to be three adults, one toddler, and two babies on that flight.

For the next half hour, Spencer was telling Rossi about Piper, Albert, and Ava as they drank their beverages, and when their drinks were empty Helen approached Spencer and Rossi.

"Would you two like refills?" asked Helen.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Olivia didn't give you a curfew since she wants you to enjoy yourself a bit, and she already offered me the spare bedroom." said Rossi.

"OK." said Spencer.

"Same drinks?" asked Helen.

"Yes." said Rossi.

Spencer and Rossi were waiting for their drinks, as they listened to a karaoke singer sing.

"You must remember this a kiss is still a kiss a sigh is just a sigh the fundamental things apply." sang a karaoke singer.

"Right over there. That's where I saw Carolyn the first time." said Rossi as he pointed to where he saw Carolyn.

Spencer took a look where Rossi was pointing to see a man sleeping.

"No offense, Rossi, but this place is kind of a dump." said Spencer.

Rossi spoke again as soon as Spencer made eye contact.

"Oh, back then it wasn't. Back then the biggest names would come here. Creedence, The Eagles, Chicago. It was a Marine bar. They played for us jarheads." said Rossi.

"What was Carolyn doing here?" asked Spencer.

"Waiting for Ringo. Beatlemania was no joke. I mean, it would make the women crazy. She'd write them a letter once a week, begging the band to come visit." said Rossi.

"Did they ever come?" asked Spencer.

"Ringo did, after his divorce. But luckily, Carolyn met me first. But that's how we all became friends." said Rossi as Helen approached them with their refills.

"Devil honey for Dave. And an Arnold Palmer for the kid." said Helen.

At that moment Spencer's and Rossi's phones went off.

"Oh, on second thought, Helen- it's Garcia." said Rossi.

"So much for a night off, but at least we already had dinner with my dad, Olivia, and the kids." said Spencer.

"You better bring us the bill." said Rossi.

"OK. That'll be 10 bucks." said Helen.

"No, you can charge us for the drinks we didn't have." said Rossi.

"Everything's marked down until it's all gone." said Helen as she moved her head to the sign telling everyone that the Benjamin is closing at the end of the year.

"Oh, you can't close. This place is history." said a shocked Rossi.

"Unfortunately, Dave, history doesn't pay the bills." said Helen.

Rossi sighed deeply.

"Marines used to be big business." said Rossi.

"Still are. That's why 3 new bars opened up across the street. What's that thing they say about competition?" asked Helen.

"It breeds success?" asked Spencer.

"It sucks." said Helen.

"Well... Keep the change." said Rossi as he handed Helen the money as he and Spencer got up.

"Thank you, Dave." said Helen before walking away.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"I hate to see this place go." said Rossi.

"Let's get going." said Spencer as he realized that he can tell Garcia and Olivia what he wants to do after they come home from the case they were just called in for.

"It's a good thing that we both left our go bags at the office, and that our guns are in my car." said Rossi.

"I will be calling Olivia on the way." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Rossi were heading to Quantico, and Spencer called Olivia.

"On your way home with Ross in tow?" asked Olivia as she nursed Albert.

"Afraid not, since we just got called in." said Spencer.

"I am nursing Albert at the moment, and please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I promise to stay safe, and I'm sorry that I got called in." said Spencer.

"I blame the unsub for the reason why you're getting called in Spencer." said Olivia.

Spencer chuckled.

"I will call you when I can." said Spencer.

"You better, and I love you." said Olivia.

"I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"How did Olivia take it?" asked Rossi.

"She blames the unsub for ruining my night off." said Spencer.

"At least Olivia's much better understanding than Carolyn." said Rossi.

"I know, but it has gotten much harder leaving home for a case since I now have three kids." said Spencer.

* * *

"Beantown has turned into Chokeville. 3 victims, all male, wallets stolen." said Garcia.

"The unsub uses a garrote to strangle his victims. He strikes at night and there have been no witnesses." said Hotch.

"How much did he get?" asked Rossi.

"Well, it's odd. Each of the victims, socio-economically, is lower to middle class. It's doubtful there would have been much cash, and there have been no charge attempts on any of the credit cards." said Hotch.

"So the murders might not be about money at all. Taking the wallets could be a forensic countermeasure to delay victim identification." said Alex.

"That could be the sitch with the first two victims, but the latest one, Scott Delfino, he was on the phone with his roommate when he was attacked, call cut out unexpectedly, repeated callbacks went straight to voice mail." said Garcia.

"And Delfino's body was found an hour later. Indications were they'd been blitzed." said Hotch.

"Which speaks to the killer's prep work but also his desperation. He chose a location to lay in wait but wasn't capable of adapting to a target on the phone." said Spencer.

"That could be arrogance getting in the way and making his organization appear mixed. To me that screams false confidence." said JJ.

"Which means that desperation is what's driving him. It's not about the kills, it's about what the murders represent." said Morgan.

"He's mission oriented. He doesn't want to kill them, he has to." said JJ.

"Which suggests the unsub has no personal connection to his victims." said Rossi.

"Except choking as a kill method is extremely personal. He feels each victim take their last breath." said Alex.

"What if the wallets are a form of depersonalization? He's stripping his victims of their identities." said Morgan.

"Which means he may feel stripped of his own. If the wallets are trophies, he could be seeking recognition for his work." said Spencer.

"And he may not stop killing until he gets that recognition. Let's go." said Hotch.

As Spencer went to grab his go bag, he sent Garcia a text message.

ROSSI'S FAVORITE BAR IS CLOSING DOWN, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO THROW AN IRISH WAKE FOR IT. OLIVIA AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT A NIGHT OUT AND AN IRISH WAKE SEEMS LIKE A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A CHILD FREE EVENING. ~ SR

Garcia who was coming down the stairs, approached Spencer as she read the text message.

"That's a wonderful idea boy wonder, just let Olivia and I do the planning." whispered Garcia.

"OK." said Spencer.

* * *

"Ryan Maxford worked as a counselor at a local boys home, and Scott Delfino worked for Dynamo Industries, which is an international pharmaceutical firm." said Garcia.

"Besides gender, the victimology varies. He doesn't care about age or race." said JJ.

"He blends in and is most likely unassuming." said Rossi.

"Yet has no problem taking down a 6'5", 260-pound man. Maxford was a former football all-American." said Morgan

"Which probably rules out my unsub as a woman who hates men theory. It'd be hard to gain leverage on these guys." said Alex.

"True, but hatred of men might not be far off. The victims could be surrogates." said Rossi.

"For someone else or the unsub himself?" asked Alex.

"It's too early to tell. If the unsub does feel stripped of his own identity, he could be trying to make these men appear the same way." said Morgan.

"He could be recognizing in his victims a behavioral trait consistent with the object of his rage that triggers him to kill." said Spencer.

"We need to determine where he's finding his victims." said Hotch.

"Geographically speaking, none of the victims live near one another, but they were all killed downtown, which is where the unsub likes to operate." said Spencer.

"That fits with where Maxford works, but not with the other two victims." said Alex.

"His area of control, while relatively small, includes a number of residential and commercial buildings. Factoring in a 3-mile radius in a city with a population of 636,479 over 48.28 miles, we're looking at approximately 39,549.23 people living in his comfort zone." said Spencer.

"How many of them male?" asked Morgan.

"18,944.08." said Spencer.

Morgan shook his head as he wondered if Albert and Ava will be just like their father since Piper already is.

"Garcia, start with the victim's known associates. We need a list of everyone who lives and works downtown." said Hotch.

"On it. I'm a genius, too." said Garcia.

"Morgan, Blake, and I will go to the field office and start with Garcia's list. Dave, go to the M. E. and see what they can offer us. JJ, you and Reid go to the scene where Scott Delfino's body was found. His roommate's waiting to talk to you there." said Hotch.

"Is that a good idea, talking to him where his friend was murdered?" asked JJ.

"Well, apparently he's insisting on it. Boston P. D. says he won't leave the scene until you do. " said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer and JJ ducked under the crime scene tape and they found Ben Harrison waiting for them.

"Ben Harrison?" asked JJ.

Ben looked up from where he was sitting.

"You the FBI?" asked Ben.

"I'm Agent Jennifer Jareau. This is Dr. Spencer Reid. You know, we didn't have to do this here. We could have talked back at our field office." said JJ gently.

"I wanted to see where it happened. I was talking to him one second and then the... That's it. Gone. Right here Scotty's story ends." said Ben as he mourned the lost of his friend.

Spencer looked at JJ as he quietly spoke.

"Scotty must have been coming from the east, otherwise the unsub's position would have left him exposed." said Spencer.

"But?" asked JJ.

"That Avenue offers 3 different directions to head in lieu of this alleyway, so how did the unsub know Scotty was gonna choose this particular one?" asked Spencer.

JJ looked at Ben.

"You told the police he met a girl last night. So walking home this way wouldn't be part of his regular routine, right?" asked JJ.

"No." said Ben.

Spencer looked at JJ.

"When planning a blitz attack with varying avenues of approach, what do you do?" asked Spencer.

"Eliminate the variable. Strike as close as you can to the point of origin or destination." said JJ.

"But Scotty was still miles away from home." said Spencer.

"The woman he met lives nearby. Do you have any idea who she was?" asked JJ.

"Only that her name is Ashley and she likes bunnies. Don't ask. It's the last thing he said to me." said Ben.

"Do you know where they met?" asked JJ.

"I'm not sure. We were watching the Pats game at the Purple Shamrock, and then I had to bail. I have to pick up my girlfriend from Logan, so…" said Ben.

"Do you think Scotty stayed there, or would he have ventured elsewhere after you left?" asked Spencer.

"I don't know. There's so many bars in the area. Scotty had a tendency to... wander." said Ben.

"With women, you mean?" asked JJ.

"Let's just say it wasn't often that he slept alone." said Ben.

"Did that rub anyone the wrong way?" asked JJ.

"Not anyone that knew him. He was too good a guy not to like." said Ben.

* * *

While Rossi, Hotch, JJ, and Alex were at the latest crime scene or talking to Jake's friend, Spencer and Morgan were video conferencing with Garcia.

"I'm so excited about the idea of throwing an Irish Wake for Rossi's favorite bar." said Garcia.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Are you and Olivia coming or are you going to have a quiet night at home with my godchildren?" said Morgan.

"Olivia and I are planning on going since we desperately need a night." said Spencer.

"I am planning on putting a message up on the Quantico message boards as soon as this case is over to let everyone know what's going on." said Garcia.

"We should have drinks all on Rossi." said Morgan.

Spencer shook his head at Morgan's and Garcia's antics.

* * *

"The unsub we're looking for is a dangerous voyeur who feeds off the thrill of knowing his victims can't see him." said Hotch.

"Typically voyeurs are nonviolent and content to remain bystanders. This one is different. He's on a mission that includes taking action." said Spencer.

"And in that mission he didn't hesitate to kill a teenage boy. Anyone who stands between him and his goal is at risk." said Hotch.

"We believe he's documenting his work. He's taking pictures and collects personal connections to his victims, their wallets and their hair." said Alex.

"It's important to him to have proof of what he's doing." said Rossi.

"Voyeurs like to create fantasies in their heads of what the objects of their obsession should be like." said Morgan.

"He creates a character identity instead of a reality. And when a person steps outside of the parameters that the unsub has set for them, he strikes." said Rossi.

"This unsub appears to be triggered by males acting on what he perceives to be character flaws. Seemingly innocuous infractions to us are magnified in the unsub's psychosis." said JJ.

"Based on the planning and sophistication of the kills, we believe that he's in his late 30s or 40s." said Hotch.

"The geographic profile tells us this unsub is not only dumping his victims downtown, he's hunting there, too." said Spencer.

"So this is where we need to redouble our efforts. Go building to building, door to door. This guy's a fly on the wall. He's able to learn secrets without anyone realizing he's there." said Morgan.

"He'll have a job that involves very little social interaction, but it puts him in a position where he can observe others unnoticed." said Alex.

"So we should look at service workers, groundskeepers, anyone paid to be invisible." said JJ.

"And we need to move quickly. This unsub is approaching some sort of perceived deadline. The closer it gets, the more erratic and dangerous he'll become. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

"Talk to me, baby girl." said Morgan.

"You better get ready to get down on one knee, 'cause this B. G. boo just earned herself one hell of a diamond." said Garcia.

Spencer shook his head in amusement at Garcia's actions as he thought about the engagement ring that Olivia has fused to her wedding band.

"What'd you find?" asked Spencer.

"Scott Delfino's phone is a Hotch mess- hot mess- you know what I mean. Data scrambled like a Denver omelet on a Sunday morning. I can feel those smoldering get-to-the-point stares from here. So I will. If the name Ashley is on Scott's phone, I can't find it." said Garcia.

Spencer and Morgan gave each other amused looks due to Garcia talking about Hotch.

"Penelope, this is sounding more like cubic zirconia." said Morgan.

"Bite your pretty tongue. I didn't stop at the first rejection. I did what you guys did. I profiled the guy. Scotty is a ladies' man. Gets a lot of names and numbers, gotta keep track of them all. What's a player to do, playa?" asked Garcia.

"He gave her a nickname." said Morgan.

"Baby girl's already taken. But Bunny wasn't." said Garcia.

"Tell me you got a number." said Morgan.

"Of course I did. Now so do you. Sending it now." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer, JJ, and Morgan were finding information about the woman that their unsub killed.

"Her name is Ashley Fouladi. She's a grad student at B. C. Bills, including rent and phone, are in her father's name. That's why we couldn't find her." said Garcia.

"You got an address, Garcia?" asked Morgan.

"Yeah. 2410 Boylston Street." said Garcia.

"Boylston Street. That's where Colin Kirkland lives, the boy who witnessed the attack on Jake Preston." said JJ.

"Right, they're neighbors. Same building, different floor." said Garcia.

"Ashley wasn't planned, but Scotty, the guy she was with, was." said Spencer.

"Right. And it wasn't Ashley's neighbor, Colin, who was targeted, it was Jake, the boy he was with." said JJ.

"This unsub isn't stalking the people he kills, he's stalking the people that live in that building. All of his victims must have interacted with someone residing there." said Moran.

"So, how does he choose who he kills?" asked Garcia.

"All right, well, let's look at it. Ashley comes home with a womanizer who the unsub then killed. Colin was playing with a video game he wasn't supposed to have. The unsub killed the boy who gave it to him." said JJ.

"He's targeting bad influences." said Morgan.

"He sees himself as a protector." said Spencer.

JJ looked at the other fellow parent in the room.

"Or as a parent. He's keeping the people under his own roof safe." said JJ.

"Which mean he most likely suffered a past loss." said Spencer.

"One he blames himself for." said JJ.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan entered the apartment building that Ashley resided in, and they walked over Nick who saw Morgan's badge, causing him to stand up.

"Agents. What can I do for you?" asked Nick.

"One of your residents, Ashley Fouladi, was killed tonight. We just want to ask you a few questions." said Morgan.

"Oh, wow. That's horrible." said Nick quietly.

"Did you happen to notice anything strange this evening?" asked Spencer.

"No. But I just got here. Our night guy had a family emergency, so I just got called back in." said Nick.

"Did you interact with her earlier today? Was she with anyone?" asked Morgan.

"No one was with her, but she did ask me about our visitor logs. She was trying to find some guy's number and I just sent her up to our storage room." said Nick.

"Can you show us?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Right this way." said Nick.

A few minutes later Spencer and Morgan were in the storage room and searching the room with their guns out.

"It's clear." said Morgan as he and Spencer holstered their guns.

Spencer grabbed gloves from his pocket to look at what was on the desk.

"Somebody's been living up here." said Morgan.

"Looks like he's making some sort of collage or scrapbook or something." said Spencer as Nick came into the room.

As Spencer paged through the scrapbook, he saw pictures of the same little boy while thinking about the scrapbooks he has on Piper, Albert, and Ava and remembering that Olivia placed a lock of Piper's hair in Piper's scrapbook while all three scrapbooks contain Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's first hospital bracelets.

"This guy's got a view of the entire courtyard and a half a dozen apartments. He can see who's coming and going all day long." said Morgan.

Spencer opened up the laptop and saw surveillance footage of a certain apartment.

"Look at this. It's a live feed." said Spencer as Morgan came forward.

"So who else is he watching?" asked Morgan.

Nick came forward.

"That's Tanner. The guy I'm covering for." said Nick.

* * *

Spencer was heading towards Hannah's house with Morgan as they were conferencing in with Garcia, Alex, and JJ.

"He's not gonna hurt Hannah or the baby, will he?" asked Garcia.

"Not while she's pregnant. He has to keep the child safe." said Alex.

"And after?" asked Garcia.

Spencer and Morgan exchanged glances and a few minutes later they reached Hannah's house. They rushed inside, causing Tanner to hold scissors to Hannah's neck.

"Put it down." ordered Morgan.

"You can't be in here." said Tanner.

"Tanner, think about what you're doing. You don't want to hurt your baby, do you? Not after what happened to Jeremy." said Spencer.

"Go away! Just get out of here!" said Tanner.

"Aah!" screamed Hannah.

Spencer decided to take action, knowing that Hannah's and the baby's lives are at stake.

"Hannah, how far apart are you contractions?" asked Spencer.

"They're constant!" shouted Hannah.

"The baby's coming now." said Spencer as he looked at Morgan.

"Look, man, your baby is about to be born. Now, we want to help you, but you need to put that weapon down." said Morgan.

"No! This is my child. I'm not leaving it." said Tanner.

As Hannah continued to scream and groan, Spencer decided to holster his weapon and don some gloves.

"Hannah, I need you to breathe deeply. Breathe deeply." said Spencer in a calm voice that he used for Olivia when she was in labor both times, "Hannah, I need you to start pushing..."

"I can't." said Hannah.

"Yes, you can, baby, just like with Jeremy. 1, 2, 3-" said Tanner.

"This is not helping." said Hannah.

"Tanner, you need to let her go. The stress isn't good for the baby. If Hannah doesn't start pushing now, we could lose the child." said Spencer.

"I have to watch him. I have to keep him safe." said Tanner.

"Like you did with Ashley?" asked Morgan.

"That was an accident. I didn't mean to." said Tanner.

"I know you didn't. Accidents happen. What happened with Jeremy was an accident, right?" asked Morgan.

"If I'd have been there, I could have helped him." cried Tanner.

At that moment Hannah screamed again, causing Spencer to think of a way to get Tanner away so he could help Hannah and he exchanged glances with Morgan who noticed that Spencer's forehead was beginning to get sweaty.

"Guys, something's wrong. The umbilical cord's wrapped around the baby's throat." said Spencer frantically.

"No." said Tanner.

"What?" asked a frantic Hannah.

"Well, Reid, do something." said Morgan.

"I need something to cut the cord with, quickly!" shouted Spencer.

Tanner got up and handed Spencer the scissors.

"Use these." said Tanner as Morgan grabbed him.

"No! No!" shouted Tanner as he was handcuffed by Morgan.

"Don't worry, Hannah, your baby's doing fine, but you need to keep pushing, okay?" asked Spencer.

At that moment Alex and JJ entered the room.

"Medics on the way." said Alex.

"We can't risk moving her now. We'll have to deliver the baby here." said Spencer.

"Oh, God!" shouted Hannah.

"Squeeze my hand as hard as you can and push." said Spencer.

"Oh, I can't. I can't." said Hannah.

"Yes, you can. You're doing great." said Spencer.

"I need to see this." said Tanner.

"You're doing great. I can see the head. Keep pushing. Keep pushing." coached Spencer as paramedics came into the room. "Keep pushing, all right? Keep pushing."

Less than a minute later everyone in the room heard a baby boy crying and he cut the umbilical cord as he took the baby boy to the paramedics who wrapped him up before handing the baby back to Spencer who smiled down at the baby boy in his arms as a female paramedic cleaned off the baby, and he thought back to the first times he held Piper, Albert, and Ava as he walked over to Hannah and passed her her son while he and JJ slightly embraced.

"He's beautiful." said JJ.

Hannah looked at Spencer.

"What's your full name?" asked Hannah.

"Spencer William Reid." said Spencer.

Hannah looked down at her son.

"Spencer Johnson in honor of you for saving our lives." said Hannah.

JJ looked at Spencer.

"Now you have two namesakes to live up to you." said JJ.

Hannah looked at Spencer and noticed the wedding band.

"You have kids?" asked Hannah.

"A 16 month old daughter named Piper Ann Reid, and five month old twins Albert Spencer Reid and Ava Diana Reid. And I was in the delivery room for both births when my wife was in labor." said Spencer.

"Mind if I see a picture?" asked Hannah.

"Sure." said Spencer.

A few seconds later Hannah was looking at a picture of Piper, Albert, and Ava.

"Albert looks just like you, and Piper has your eyes." said Hannah.

* * *

Spencer entered he conference room with Alex, JJ, and Morgan where Hotch and Rossi were waiting for them.

"Excellent job, Agent Reid." said Rossi before walking away.

"And Garcia was talking about going out to the Benjamin tonight." said Hotch.

"I already know since I told her about the bar closing." said Spencer.

"Well I talked to Jessica and she and Jack are willing to help your father out with the kids tonight." said Hotch.

"Just so you know, Hannah Johnson asked me for my email address since she wants to send pictures of little Spencer to me." said Spencer as he showed Hotch the photo that Hannah gave him permission to take.

"Another namesake." said Hotch as he smiled at Spencer.

"Yeah, and while I held him I couldn't help but think about the first times I held Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Spencer.

"When holding your kids for the first time, I ended up thinking about when Jack was that small too." said Hotch as he smiled at the picture of the innocent life that Spencer helped delivered.

* * *

Spencer entered his house and Olivia rushed over to her husband.

"Penelope told me about you delivering a baby in the field." said Olivia as she hugged and kissed her husband.

"His name is Spencer Johnson." said Spencer as his father entered the room.

"I'm proud of you Spencer." said William as he hugged his son.

"Where are the kids?" asked Spencer.

"They are napping." said Olivia.

* * *

Later that evening, Spencer and Olivia clinked their glasses with Spencer's teammates.

"And to Dr. Spencer Reid, who may be adding M. D. to an already impressive list of credentials." joked Hotch.

Olivia beamed proudly at her husband.

"And to Spencer Johnson, may he prove to be the child prodigy like his namesake." said Morgan.

"How on earth did you know what to do?" asked Alex.

Olivia snorted since she already heard the story from Spencer as her husband wrapped an arm around her waist.

"When JJ was pregnant with Henry, I memorized the delivery manuals just in case she went into labor in the field. And the first time Olivia told me that I was going to be a dad, I reread the delivery manuals just in case I didn't get her to the hospital on time. I have to admit the practical application did not quite live up to the theory." said Spencer.

"No, you were great, Spence." said JJ.

"Thanks. This night is not about me, though. To Dave Rossi." said Spencer as he held up his Arnold Palmer, causing the others to lift up their glasses.

"Oh, I still can't believe you guys did this." said Rossi.

"We wanted to make sure you had one last proper goodbye." said Spencer.

"Mm-hmm. And I may or may not have posted on the Quantico message boards that all the drinks are on you tonight." said Garcia.

"And they are indeed, thank you very much." said Rossi.

"Um, but that's not all. I don't believe that, uh, any of the members of this team have heard you sing." said Hotch as everyone's heads turned to the stage where Helen was standing.

"Next up is David Rossi." said Helen.

"That was intentional." said Rossi.

"Next up is David Rossi." said Hotch as everyone cheered and clapped.

"Dave, get your ass up here and sing us out already." said Helen.

"And, look, it's in your key." said Hotch as everyone got closer to the stage.

"Yeah, Q squared." said Rossi as he got onto the stage.

"Whoo!" shouted JJ.

At that moment "Piano Man" started playing and Rossi took the microphone.

"Alrighty. To all the great memories that have happened within these walls, if you think I'm doing this without backup, you're nuts. Come on, JJ, Reid, Olivia, let's go." said Rossi.

A few seconds later Spencer, Olivia, JJ, and Garcia were on stage with Rossi and Olivia was right next to her husband holding the microphone that she and Spencer shared.

"What time is it?" started Garcia.

"It's 9 o'clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in there's an old man sitting next to me makin' love to his tonic and gin." sang Spencer, Olivia, JJ, Rossi, and Garcia in unison as Morgan joined them on stage.

"Blake!" shouted Rossi.

As they scatted along with the music, Spencer noticed a grinning Hotch filming them, causing him to call Hotch on stage.

"Hotchner!" shouted Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was about to get off the stage with the others when Olivia grabbed his hand.

"Oh no you don't, Spencer." said Olivia as she gave her husband a smirk.

Spencer glared playfully at his wife, causing everyone in the audience who has corresponded with Spencer in the past to see a totally different side of him when he's around his wife.

"What song do you want to sing, Livy?" asked Spencer as he noticed that everyone in the audience was staring at him and Olivia.

"Ghostbusters." said Olivia.

Spencer burst out laughing as Olivia headed over to Helen and told her their song choice and a minute later "Ghostbusters" started playing, causing the audience to cheer since they were all familiar with the song while being surprised that the BAU's resident genius was doing "Ghostbusters" with his wife.

"You go first, Spencer." said Olivia.

Spencer shook his head before he started singing the first few lines on key.

"When there's something strange in your neighborhood. Who are you going to call?" sang Spencer.

"GHOSTBUSTERS!" shouted everyone in the bar while JJ, Garcia, and Morgan shouted, "THE BAU."

Spencer burst out laughing at his teammates antics while Olivia sang the next verse on key.

"And if there's something weird. And it doesn't look good. Who are you going to call?" sang Olivia.

"GHOSTBUSTERS!" shouted everyone in the audience.

As the song went on, Spencer and Olivia would either take turns singing a short solo or they would sing the lines together while everyone else took charge of shouting ghostbusters, and as soon as the song was over everyone in the bar was cheering or clapping as Spencer and Olivia clasped hands together and took a bow before kissing each other softly on the lips, causing a few wolf whistles and cat calls from agents who knew Spencer. A minute later Spencer and Olivia were with Spencer's teammates.

"You guys were great." said JJ.

"Thanks." said Spencer as we wrapped an arm around Olivia's waist and pulled her a bit closer to him before looking at Hotch, "Can you send me the recording you made so I can get it to my mom?"

"I was already planning sending the footage to you." said Hotch.

"Don't forget Emily." said Garcia, causing everyone to smile since they missed Emily.


	9. The Return

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 8.

* * *

Spencer was feeding Albert when Olivia came into the nursery with Spencer's work phone.

"Your work phone just went off saying that you have round table in 30 minutes, and I already alerted your father that he needs to come up here." said Olivia as she took Albert from Spencer so she could finish feeding their son.

"I will call you in the morning to let you know where I jetted off to." said Spencer as he pecked Olivia on the lips.

"Please come home safe to me." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer was putting on his cardigan when his cell phone rang and he saw that it was Hotch.

"I'm going to be leaving the house in about five minutes." said Spencer as he exited the bedroom with his packed go bag.

"I'm about five minutes away from your house if you want a ride." said Hotch.

"A ride would be great since I was awake for Albert's 2 AM feeding when Olivia came into the nursery telling me that I got called in." said Spencer.

"Well I will be there in four minutes." said Hotch before hanging up.

Four minutes later Spencer got into the passenger seat of Hotch's car, and Hotch looked at him.

"Just catch up on sleep while I drive, and I don't mind if you recline a bit so you can get more comfortable." said Hotch.

"Thanks." said Spencer as he reclined the passenger seat before closing his eyes.

* * *

"A few hours ago, a lone gunman shot and killed 3 people inside a downtown Chicago diner. Then, he was taken down by a plainclothes off-duty officer who happened to be in the restaurant at the same time of the shooting." said Garcia.

"Well, it sounds like they got their guy. Why are they requesting our help?" asked Morgan.

"Because an ATM from across the street captured this image of the shooter getting out of a late-model sedan just moments before the shooting and here's a shot of his driver who then sped off." said Garcia.

"Chicago P. D. I. D.'d the shooter as 16-year-old Gavin Rossler after getting a composite match from the national center for missing and exploited children. According to the database, Gavin's been missing for nearly 4 years." said Hotch.

Spencer sighed, realizing that this case also deals with kids.

"It looks like back in 2009 when the mother filed the police report, she insisted Gavin had been abducted." said JJ.

Spencer decided to tell his teammates that they wouldn't be able to talk to Gavin's mom.

"Mom was not the most credible source. She was in and out of rehab facilities for drug and alcohol abuse, died 6 months ago of an apparent drug overdose." said Spencer.

"It says here Gavin had run away from home several times but always returned within 24 hours." said Alex.

"Which could by why local P. D. initially categorized him as a runaway rather than missing." said Rossi.

"So where's this kid been all this time, and where did he meet his partner in crime?" asked Morgan.

"Garcia, have you been able to I. D. the driver?" asked Alex.

"Negative. I'm running the image through facial recognition software right now, though." said Garcia.

"We can't rule out the possibility that the driver is the person responsible for Gavin's disappearance." said Hotch.

"If that's the case, chances are he's out looking for his next victim." said Morgan.

"How does a 12-year-old runaway turn into a cold-blooded killer?" asked Rossi.

"Wheels up in 30." said Hotch.

A few minutes late Spencer was sending Olivia a text message.

GOING TO CHICAGO, AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY TODAY. ~ SR

* * *

"Leah Rollins was the first victim. She was working her regular overnight shift at the diner. The second victim was Kyle Workman. He worked at a local convenience store. And the third was Violet Hartford. She was a schoolteacher." said Garcia.

"It seems like other than late-night cravings, there was no connection between the victims and Gavin." said Rossi.

"It looks as though he was born into a high-risk lifestyle. Dad's been incarcerated since Gavin was 4." said Spencer.

"On two separate occasions he was removed from his mother's custody and placed in foster care." said Hotch.

"Well, despite all that, he managed to get good grades." said Alex.

"So 4 years ago- why did he choose that day to leave?" asked JJ.

"Well, that's if he left by choice." said Alex.

"Well, the mom's boyfriend moved in a couple weeks prior. Maybe he and Gavin were bumping heads. I mean, things might have even gotten physical between the two of them." said Morgan.

"Yeah, at one point mom admitted that she and prince charming had been out on a binge for a couple of days." said Rossi.

"Which means Gavin would have been left home alone to fend for himself." said JJ.

"And I'm sure that wasn't the first time. Maybe he just had enough." said Alex.

"This kid's from Garfield Park. That's prime gang territory. If he was left unsupervised from sunup to sundown, chances are he fell in with the wrong crowd." said Morgan.

"Chicago has one of the largest gang populations, over 100,000 active members. Last year 61% of all homicides were found to be gang related." said Spencer.

"Well, it makes sense. I mean, the kid runs away from home and finds himself out on the street. Then some knucklehead gangbangers come along, recruit him, and promise him protection. Next thing you know, he's got the "family" that he never had." said Morgan.

"Garcia, we need a list of active gangs operating in the area." said Hotch.

"Copy that." said Garcia.

"We need to hit the ground running. If this is some sort of mass gang initiation, it could be the first in a series of attacks." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer looked at Gavin's body as Morgan went through Gavin's belongings.

"Single gunshot wound to the chest. He died before paramedics arrived. Still trying to determine what caused these burns on his temple." said Doctor Taylor.

Have you gotten back the toxicology results?" asked Spencer.

"He was clean. No drugs or alcohol." said Doctor Taylor.

"Excuse me. Was this everything?" asked Morgan as he held up the clothes that Gavin wore.

"That's all he came with." said Doctor Taylor.

"Well, how many kids you know these days that don't carry a phone on them? The first thing a runaway does is pick up a disposable." said Morgan.

"Most of the time we get street kids, they'll be somewhat malnourished or have some type of correlating health issues. He didn't show any signs of either." said Doctor Taylor.

"It seems like whoever this kid was with at least made sure he was fed properly." said Morgan.

"There's multiple spiral fractures on both arms." said Spencer.

"When I took the X-rays, it was evident that his fractures hadn't healed properly." said Doctor Taylor.

"Typically you only see that in cases of abuse with toddlers and young children, not someone Gavin's age." said Spencer.

"Well, whoever did this had to have literally twisted his arms until they broke." said Morgan.

"Were you able to determine if these injuries occurred before or after he was reported missing?" asked Spencer.

"I'd say somewhere as early as 6 months ago." said Doctor Taylor.

"That rules out the mom and boyfriend." said Morgan.

"If they didn't cause them, who did?" asked Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Morgan were heading to the police department and Spencer looked at Morgan.

"How is everything going with Savannah?" asked Spencer.

"I had a great night with her last night, but she ended up getting called in minutes before we got called in." said Morgan.

"I had a great evening with my dad, Olivia, and the kids, and I was feeding Albert when Olivia came into the nursery telling me that my work phone went off." said Spencer.

"How did she handle you getting called in?" asked Morgan.

"She just extracted Albert from my arms and finished feeding him while telling me that she woke up dad to let him know that she's going to need him upstairs, and I kissed her goodbye while promising that I would come home safe to her, dad, and the kids and headed off to get dressed before Hotch picked me up so I could get some extra sleep on the way to the office." said Spencer.

"I'm glad that your dad is there to help out." said Morgan.

"It isn't easy having a nearly 17 month old toddler and five month old twins in diapers, but having dad there with us helps make everything a bit easier for Livy and I." said Spencer.

* * *

A short while later Spencer and Morgan were watching some video footage.

"Go ahead, mama." said Morgan.

"I pulled this video footage from across the street from the diner. I managed to get a partial plate off the car. I'm running it now." said Garcia as Spencer and Morgan watched the footage.

"Garcia, can you pause it? Rewind it a moment just after Gavin steps out of the car." said Spencer.

Garcia followed Spencer's instructions.

"You see that? The driver didn't wait around for him to enter the diner before he drove off." said Spencer.

"Well, maybe he sensed something was up." said Morgan.

"Why not wait to make sure everything went as planned? I mean, what if something went wrong and the mission had to be aborted? How would the driver let him know inside?" asked Spencer.

"He couldn't even if he wanted to. Gavin didn't have a phone on him." said Morgan.

"Maybe that's why the driver drove off. He knew that Gavin wasn't planning on leaving the diner alive." said Spencer.

"This was a suicide mission." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer was sitting down reading a file as Rossi stared at the clear board, causing Alex to speak up.

"I know that look. The wheels are turning." said Alex.

"I've seen this before. Muzzle-flash burns. We'd occasionally see this on POWs in Vietnam." said Rossi.

"So someone held a gun to his head and repeatedly fired blanks." said Alex.

"That's incredibly risky, especially considering the margin of error when you're holding the barrel of a gun to someone's temporal bone. The discharge alone can cause the skull to shatter." said Spencer.

"Which means not only did this person want to put the fear of God into Gavin, but he knew exactly how to do it without killing him." said Rossi.

"This poor kid was tortured." said Alex.

"Or trained." said Spencer causing Alex and Rossi to look at him, "What if whoever did this wanted to make sure if he got caught he'd never talk?"

A short while later Spencer was sitting in the conference room with JJ and Hotch.

"What have you got, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"I was finally able to clean up that grainy mess. Here is our mystery driver." said Garcia.

JJ took a look at the picture.

"He can't be much older than Gavin." said JJ.

"They're dressed exactly the same." said Spencer.

"Which is why I ran the image through advanced facial age regression software and then I cross-referenced it with the statewide database. Our driver is 17-year-old Trevor Madison from Arlington heights." said Garcia as she showed Spencer, Hotch, and JJ some pictures of a younger Trevor.

"Another missing kid?" asked JJ.

"Yeah. This is where it goes from wack to super wack with a side of awful. Trevor went missing less than 24 hours after Gavin." said Garcia.

"And nobody made the connection?" asked Spencer.

"No. The other cases were in different jurisdictions, so there hasn't been any physical evidence linking the cases until now." said Garcia.

"These kids aren't runaways. They were abducted." said Hotch as Morgan entered the room.

"We got a hit from the APB. Trevor filled up at a gas station off the interstate a half hour ago." said Morgan.

"Sounds like someone's thinking about skipping town." said JJ.

"It's been hours since the shooting. He could have made it across state lines by now, but he stuck around. Why?" asked Spencer.

At that moment Detective Reyes came into the room.

"One of my officers has just radioed for a tow truck. The kid has barricaded himself inside the car. He's at the intersection." said Detective Reyes.

"Evacuate the area. Evacuate the area." ordered Hotch.

* * *

"It's possible we're dealing with a terrorist organization with one man at the center. We're basing our profile on his motivation." said Hotch.

"We believe these children were abducted by a preferential offender who targets prepubescent boys." said Morgan.

"Our unsub is likely a male in his 40s with some military or law enforcement training." said Alex.

"We think he has a secluded location that provides enough privacy to hold his victims captive for several years." said JJ.

"In that time he breaks these kids down and rebuilds them to be hardened soldiers." said Rossi.

"We believe they're suffering from an extreme case of Stockholm syndrome. Much like Patty Hearst, who came to view the SLA as her new family and the rest of the world as adversaries, we believe he's attempting to instill this same feeling within his army." said Spencer.

"He likely uses military torture techniques to get his victims to see his enemies as their own." said Morgan.

"He puts them through a rigorous and punishing military training regimen in order to prepare them mentally and physically for his war." said Spencer.

"Once this happens, the physical threats stop and the reprogramming begins." said Morgan.

"And now that he has their trust, he maintains this connection by bolstering them with love and affection." said JJ.

"His connection to them is important. It ensures once they're released, they will not deviate from their orders." said Rossi.

"His ultimate target has yet to be determined, but it could be as broad as American citizens." said Alex.

"These attacks have been well orchestrated, methodical, and extremely violent in order to maximize destruction and panic." said Spencer.

"Which is why we need to get ahead of him in order to prevent more bloodshed. But in order to do that, we need to identify the source of his rage." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer approached Alex and Rossi as he was talking to Garcia on the phone.

"Guys, I think I know why the unsub targeted Gavin and Trevor. Garcia, are you still there?" asked Spencer as he put his phone onto the table.

"I have now connected 1, 2, 3, 4 missing kids to this unsub. Walk with me through the darkness if you will. Brandon Rutherford and Vincent Gamble- they disappeared within 24 hours of each other 6 months before Gavin and Trevor did, and then their bodies were found two weeks later." said Garcia.

"It's possible they were his first victims." said Spencer.

"But he killed them, so it may not be the same unsub." said Alex.

"The M. E. reports for both Brandon and Vincent were consistent with the type of torture Gavin suffered, but theirs was much more severe." said Spencer.

"These two probably rebelled against the unsub's programming, so he got rid of them." said Rossi.

"Uh, yeah, that brings us to Steven Walker and Daniel Morrison. They were 12 years old when the were abducted, again, within 24 hours of each other, and this happened two years after Gavin and Trevor disappeared. Steven Walker's body was found a year ago in a wooded area just outside the city, and his injuries were consistent with the other boys." said Garcia.

"All of these kids were high-risk targets. Gavin and Trevor, they lived in gang territory. Brandon and Vincent were street kids. Steven and Daniel both came from single-parent homes." said Rossi.

"His ruse could be as simple as showing them attention, something they may not have received at home." said Alex.

"There's something known as the magical age, between 9 and 12, when a child's psyche is more malleable. That could be why the unsub changed his victimology. Like the child soldiers being recruited by the rebels in Sudan, they lack the physical and emotional maturity to resist their captors." said Spencer.

"He realized that the younger that he went, the easier they would be to control." said Rossi.

"Brandon was taken at 15. Maybe he was too old to respond to the unsub's conditioning." said Spencer.

"And Daniel was 12 when he was abducted. So there's a possibility he's still alive." said Rossi.

"He'll be 15 now." said Alex.

"He's likely proven himself a good and cooperative soldier. That submission may have earned him a degree of freedom." said Spencer.

"What are you thinking?" asked Alex.

"Even though he's a soldier, he's still a teenager. So maybe the best way to reach him is through the media. It's possible Daniel has access to a television, maybe even the Internet." said Spencer.

"Once these boys are programmed, they're probably hard to break." said Rossi.

"Right now it's all we have." said Spencer as he looked at the photos of the young boys while thinking about Albert.

Alex looked at Spencer.

"Are you thinking about a certain baby boy who's at home with Olivia, your father, and his sisters?" asked Alex.

"Yeah." said Spencer.

"You and Olivia are great parents, Spencer." said Rossi.

"I know, but there are times that I swear that Piper is already dealing with the terrible twos even though she's going to be 17 months old on Sunday." said Spencer.

"I take it that she's getting a little bit jealous when you and Olivia are tending to Albert and Ava?" asked Alex.

"Yeah." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer stood outside the interrogation room with Hotch and Rossi as they watched Morgan question Daniel.

"My name is Derek Morgan. I'm with the FBI. Look, I know you've been through a lot these past couple of years, but I need you to understand that everything that man told you is a lie." said Morgan.

"My name is Daniel James Morrison. I'm a soldier. 53699." said Daniel.

"Listen to me, kid. I need your help to find the person who is responsible for all of this." said Morgan.

"My name is Daniel James Morrison." "No more innocent people should die" "I'm a soldier. 53699." "Because of this man's cause." "My name is Daniel James Morrison. I'm a soldier. 53699!" shouted Daniel.

"It's all part of the training. Name, rank, and serial number." said Hotch.

"I don't know, most serial numbers have at least 9 digits. He keeps repeating the same 5, which means it has some sort of special meaning to the unsub. Maybe it's a military code of some sort?" asked Spencer.

"Garcia already checked. Came up empty." said Rossi.

"He chose today for his attack." said Hotch.

"And the only person who knows why isn't talking." said Rossi.

"Maybe JJ will have more luck." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer pulled a chair closer to where Morgan JJ, and Alex were sitting.

"All right, let's look at victimology again." said Morgan.

"First attack, the diner. Victims across the board." said Alex.

"Second attack, car bombing. Same goal-take out as many victims as possible." said Spencer.

"Third attack, attempted mass shooting, but on a much bigger scale. God knows how many people he would have killed." said JJ.

"What if it's not about the attack itself but what happened leading up to them? Officer Clayburn entered that diner just minutes before the shooting. But the explosive was detonated just moments after the traffic cop radioed for help. And as soon as Daniel saw Reyes... His whole demeanor changed. They're targeting Chicago P. D." said Morgan.

* * *

"How did Gavin know that there would be a cop in the diner at that exact moment?" asked Rossi before he took a sip of his coffee.

"Chicago has over 13,000 police officers. That's roughly 60 per square mile. There are two precincts within a 4-block radius of the diner. My guess is it was only a matter of time before a cop walked in." said Spencer.

"And if it was his mission, he was probably prepared to wait all night if he had to." said Hotch.

"It wasn't a coincidence the attack happened shortly after the night shift ended. They learned the routines, planned ahead." said Alex.

"Well, that brings us back to square one. The list of people that have problems with law enforcement is a long one." said Rossi.

Spencer turned his head to some photos of officers that were on the wall, causing him to walk over there as Alex talked.

"We're looking at everyone from organized crime to ex-cons." said Alex.

"If it was an ex-con, the target would likely be more specific, like the arresting officer." said Hotch as Spencer looked at a certain badge.

"Guys, I think the 5-digit number Daniel's reciting is a police badge number." said Spencer.

Hotch called Garcia.

"Garcia." said Hotch.

"Talk to me." said Garcia.

"Run 53699 against a list of Chicago P. D." said Hotch.

"Running it as fast as bytes will carry. 53699... I got a hit! 53699 is the badge number to a former officer Wayne Gulino. Gulino was an Air Force sergeant. He served two tours in Iraq. When he came home he joined the Chicago P. D. 7 years ago today, he and his partner George Scotman had their badges stripped for brutally coercing confessions out of suspects. A fellow rookie officer filed a report. That led to an internal affairs investigation. And that rookie cop who blew the whistle is none other than one Detective Mark Reyes." said Garcia.

"All right, Garcia, send us everything you've got on Gulino and the partner." said Hotch.

"Gulino was defined by his badge, and when he felt wronged by his own kind, the love turned to hate." said Rossi.

"Blake, go talk to Reyes, see what you can find out. The rest of us will go to Gulino's residence." said Hotch.

Spencer left with Hotch and Rossi to check out the Gulino residence.

* * *

Spencer looked at Morgan as they got comfortable for the flight home.

"Did you even tell your mom that you were in town?" asked Spencer.

Morgan groaned.

"Someone's in big trouble." teased JJ.

Rossi and Hotch smirked.

"I will call her when I am heading home." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer shook his head when he saw Olivia putting one of his favorite meals onto the dining room table as he stepped into the living room.

"I guess Penelope called to tell you that I'm on my way home?" asked Spencer.

"She did." said Olivia as she walked over to her husband and kissed him on the lips, "Welcome home."

"Kids and dad asleep?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, and I stayed up since Penelope told me that this case affected you a bit." said Olivia.

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were eating their late dinner while talking about the past few days.

* * *

The next morning Spencer was carrying his lunch into the break room so he could put it in the fridge where he saw Morgan making some coffee.

"Morning kid." said Morgan.

"Morning." grinned Spencer.

"I guess you had a great night with Olivia." said Morgan.

"When I walked into the house last night, Olivia was putting one of my favorite meals onto the table since Garcia called her." said Spencer.

"Garcia also alerted Savannah, and Savannah tried to surprised me with a home cooked meal but she ended up ordering take out instead." said Morgan.

"I take it that Savannah's not one of the greatest cooks?" asked Spencer.

"She sets off the smoke detector every time like I do." said Morgan.

"You do know that Olivia and I can give you and Savannah some cooking lessons or come over to our house for a home cooked meal." said Spencer.

"I will take that offer since that means I get to spend some time with my god-children." said Morgan.

"True, but how about you and Savannah come over for dinner tonight." said Spencer.

"What's on the menu?" asked Morgan.

"Eggplant lasagna." said Spencer.

* * *

Later that evening Spencer was letting Morgan and Savannah into the house.

"I brought ice cream for desert." said Savannah as she held up a bag.

Spencer grimaced as he rubbed his tummy a bit while looking at Morgan

"You didn't warn Savannah that Olivia and I are both lactose intolerant?" asked Spencer.

Savannah looked at Morgan.

"You should have told me." said Savannah.

"I forgot." said Morgan.

Savannah looked at Spencer.

"Don't you have antacids that you can take?" asked Savannah.

"We do, and it's been awhile since I had ice cream." said Spencer as he led Morgan and Savannah to the kitchen where Olivia and William were feeding the twins some pureed peas and carrots as Piper snacked on some fruit.

Olivia looked up from Albert as Spencer placed the ice cream in the freezer.

"Hey Savannah." said Olivia before she turned back to Albert to give him another bite.

"They have definitely gotten bigger since the last time I saw the twins." said Savannah.

Piper looked up from her bananas and grinned when she saw Morgan and Savannah.

"Hi." said Piper before throwing some of her bananas at her uncle Derek's head, causing Albert and Ava to laugh as Savannah giggled.

"That wasn't very lady like Piper." said Morgan as he cleaned himself up.

Piper stuck her tongue out at Morgan as a giggling Savannah looked at Spencer who was finishing up the salad that he was making.

"Derek warned me that Piper would probably be throwing her food or toys at him." said Savannah.

"She started doing that the day she had her first heart check after being released from the hospital in February." said Spencer.

"What happened?" asked Savannah.

"Kawasaki disease, and she had an echocardiogram done in August and everything was fine." said Spencer.

"Who's Piper's pediatric cardiologist?" asked Savannah.

"She sees Dr. Lopez at Children's National." said Spencer.

"I've met her before." said Savannah.

At that moment Piper threw one of her sliced oranges at Morgan causing more laughter, and Spencer looked at Morgan.

"I think that I am going to call Piper's behavior towards you as The Morgan-Effect since she has been throwing food and toys at you since she was seven months old while finding out ways to avoid being held by you since she was nine months old." teased Spencer as he checked on the lasagna that was already in the oven.


	10. The Caller

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: Shout out to southernbeauty13 and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 9.

I decided to skip Strange Fruit and go straight to The Caller. So Piper's now 17 months old and Albert and Ava are still 5 months old.

There are some new OCs in this chapter, and the OCs are uncle Gordon's son, daughter in law, and granddaughter since I was told that Spencer should at least have a cousin since he does have an aunt and an uncle that's alive.

Gordon: 63 years old (Which means that Diana Reid is also 63 years old), widowed, and has one child.

Andrew: Son of Gordon, 30 years old, married to Joanna (27), and has a 13 month old daughter named Rachel.

* * *

Spencer and Olivia were walking in the grocery store together to buy their turkey for Thanksgiving dinner while William stayed at home since Piper, Albert, and Ava were taking naps.

"I can't believe that this is our third Thanksgiving together." said Olivia.

"Me neither, Livy." said Spencer.

Olivia noticed the turkey she wanted.

"Can you grab that turkey please?" asked Olivia.

Spencer reached into the open freezer and grabbed the turkey she pointed out.

"Based on the size, there should be enough for everyone, including leftovers." said Spencer as he set it in the cart.

"Well, your task this week is to find out if any of your coworkers are going to join us this year." said Olivia.

"I already found out who's joining us since we all talked about Thanksgiving plans on Friday, and Hotch, Garcia, Morgan, and Rossi have accepted my invitation while Alex is going to Boston and JJ's family is driving down again." said Spencer.

"Do you know if your cousin Andrew is joining us?" asked Olivia as she thought about when she met Spencer's cousin during Piper's Christening.

"Since he spent Thanksgiving with his in-laws last year, he, Joanna, and Rachel are spending Thanksgiving with us since uncle Gordon is joining us." said Spencer.

* * *

The following morning Spencer sighed sadly when he saw a picture of 10 year old Andrew Taffert on the monitor.

"We just got a call from St. Louis. A missing child, a 10 year old, Andrew Taffert. Parents Lida and Malcolm. Father found blood on the front door this morning." said Garcia.

"I take it no test results on the blood yet." said Morgan.

"No. That would be correct." said Garcia.

"No signs of forced entry or a struggle according to the initial police report." said JJ.

"Mom and dad put him to bed at 10:00, woke up this morning, he was gone." said Garcia.

"Any visitors or workers to the house recently?" asked Alex.

"No. But the parents say in the last two weeks they've received 5 phone calls from what sounds like a little boy prank calling them." said Garcia.

"They complained to authorities, but police determined that no laws had been broken." said Hotch.

"Mm-hmm. The little boy says, "I'm gonna get you." According the police reports, there's a lot of crazy people talking in the background. It sounds like it's coming from an asylum or a prison."

"I'd say the calls might be coincidental except the boy called again right after the parents found Andy missing, and he had a different message this time. "Did you see what I did?"" said Morgan.

"So he's taunting them. Maybe this is about revenge." said JJ.

""I'm gonna get you" is typically a threat, but in the case of children, it can also be a phrase used during play." said Alex.

"This sounds similar to a cold case from 15 years ago, Frankie Clayvin of Memphis." said Spencer.

"I remember that. Gideon handled it. It obviously it predates all of you." said Rossi as he made a mental note to contact Gideon to let him know about the case.

"Frankie Clayvin was 9 years old at the time. He never made it home from school one day. He was found dead in the woods 36 hours later 5 miles from his house." said Spencer.

"And Frankie's parents also received prank phone calls from a young boy. I think Frankie's father was the prime suspect at one point." said Rossi.

"Yeah, the police actually tapped the Clayvins' phone, but they couldn't trace the phone calls because they kept bouncing between different pay phones in the greater Memphis area." said Spencer.

"Phone calls before an abduction murder? It's a rare signature." said JJ.

"But if it is the same unsub, a dormancy period of 15 years is highly unusual. Maybe we're looking at a copycat." said Morgan.

"If I'm not mistaken, Frankie Clayvin was killed within two hours of his abduction." said Rossi.

"Which means we're wasting time. Let's go." said Hotch.

Everyone started packing up and as Spencer headed to his desk, he sent Olivia a text message.

MISSING CHILD IN ST. LOUIS, AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO PICK UP UNCLE GORDON, AUNT ETHEL, ANDREW, JOANNA, AND RACHEL FROM THE AIRPORT TONIGHT. I PROMISE TO STAY SAFE. ~ SR

* * *

"Just confirmed there was a 10-minute segment on the unsolved Frankie Clayvin murder on a low-rated cable show 12 years ago." said Garcia.

"Even with low ratings, probably a half million people saw it." said Spencer.

"376,000. It's not often I get to correct another genius." said Garcia.

Spencer shook his head.

"That makes it more likely it could be a copycat." said Hotch.

"There's nothing unusual about the Tafferts. The father Malcolm is a stockbroker, mother works at an antique shop." said JJ.

"They describe Andy as a bright, well-behaved kid who likes video games." said Morgan.

As Spencer looked at the photo of the two boys, he decided to speak his findings while thinking about Albert who's safe at home.

"Andy and Frankie are about the same age and build with similar coloring. If this is the same unsub, he definitely has a type." said Spencer.

"We need to consider the possibility that Andy may have been targeted by a pedophile." said Morgan.

"It could be someone he met online playing video games." said Hotch.

"If there's any connection to the cold case, though, there was no evidence of sexual assault." said Rossi.

"Just in case, I am pulling up a list of online players as we speak." said Garcia.

"If this is the same unsub, he must be using another child to make the prank phone calls. The original boy from 15 years ago would be grown up by now." said Spencer.

"Or it's possible the calls are recordings." said Alex.

"Guys, I just got a message from the local field office. The analysis on the blood from the Taffert house just came in, and good news- it is not Andy's. Actually it's pig's blood." said Garcia.

"Huh. Between that and the phone calls, it's safe to say this unsub likes to play games." said Rossi.

"Blake and I will go talk to Frankie Clayvin's father. The rest of you head to the Taffert house." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer and JJ were going through Andy's bedroom.

"So if Andy was forcibly taken, why didn't he scream or call out? His parents' room is right next door." said Spencer as he thought about how close Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's nurseries are to his and Olivia's bedroom.

"The unsub could have overpowered him, covered his mouth, pointed a gun at his head." said JJ as she walked to the window, "Hmm. Look at this. It wasn't locked."

"So the unsub could have snuck in while he was sleeping." said Spencer before laying his eyes on Andy's shoe rack, "That's interesting."

"What?" asked JJ.

"I don't see any sneakers. I mean, almost every 10-year-old boy has a pair, right?" asked Spencer as he thought back to owning a pair of sneakers when he was 10 years old.

"I guess they're somewhere else in the house? But mom seems like a neat freak." said JJ.

"What if Andy's wearing them?" asked Spencer.

"That means he would have had time to put his shoes on and leave." said JJ.

"Which means he was most likely coaxed out by someone he knew." said Spencer as JJ's cellphone rang.

"Hey, Garcia, perfect timing." said JJ.

"I have a list of online players that Andy Taffert played video games with. It's a short list since his parents strictly controlled his Internet access and only allowed approved play with certain players. 5 school friends, to be exact." said Garcia.

"Any chance he met up with one of them last night?" asked Spencer.

"Well, if he did, they didn't make those plans online. All 5 of them were at school today, and according to P. D. none of them knew about Andy's disappearance." said Garcia.

"All right. Thanks." said JJ before hanging up.

"So if he wasn't lured out by one of his friends, who was it?" asked Spencer.

* * *

Spencer and JJ were sitting at the kitchen table with Lida as Rossi and Morgan questioned Malcolm.

"You can't be serious. There is absolutely no way Malcolm could have done something like this. I know my husband." said Lida.

"What's his relationship like with Andy?" asked JJ.

"Malcolm dotes on him. It was like that from the minute he was born. I swear, he changed more diapers than I did." sniffed Lida.

"OK. Um, you said there were a total of 4 phone calls from the boy before Andy disappeared. Were you and Malcolm ever together for any of those calls?" asked JJ.

"No. It was always one of us. Alone." said Lida.

Spencer and JJ exchanged glances.

* * *

Spencer opened the door to get the recording that he was expecting from Agent Green.

"Dr. Reid. Got here as fast as I could. I just came from the Memphis office. They apologized for the delay. They had trouble finding it in storage." said Agent Green.

"Thank you." said Spencer before Agent Green walked away.

A few minutes later Rossi was putting the tape in a cassette player so Lida could listen to the recording.

"I'm going to play you something from the Clayvin case 15 years ago." said Rossi before pressing play.

"I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you." said the boy in the recording.

"That's like the call we got." said Lida.

"You mean it's similar?" asked Spencer.

"No. It's the exact same call." said Lida.

"Blake was right. It's a recording." said Spencer.

"This isn't a copycat. We're dealing with the same unsub." said Rossi.

* * *

Spencer and JJ were with Lida due to waiting for a phone call from the unsub.

"I don't understand. You said there was a recording. I'm supposed to just talk to it?" asked Lida.

"We have to assume whoever took Andy is listening." said Spencer.

"Now, when he calls, try to stay as neutral as possible. Don't let him feed off your anxiety." said JJ.

"And remember, you're trying to start a dialogue, so avoid questions that have yes or no answers." said Spencer.

"I don't think I can do this." said Lida.

"You have to. Now, the first question you're gonna ask is, how's Andy doing? OK?" said JJ.

Lida nodded.

A short while later the phone rang.

"Hello?" asked Lida.

"I got you, didn't I? I told you I would get you." said the boy in the recording as Spencer looked at the computer screen.

"How's Andy doing?" asked Lida.

At that moment the line disconnected.

"Hello? Hello!" said Lida.

* * *

The next day in Washington DC, Andrew was watching the news on TV and his eyes went wide when he saw his cousin was on TV with a coworker.

"Spencer's on TV!" shouted Andrew.

Gordon came into the living room from the kitchen as Olivia, Joanna, William, and Ethel came downstairs from putting all four kids down for their naps.

"Spencer never told me that he would be giving the profile on TV." muttered Olivia as she watched her husband on TV.

"Let's just listen to Spencer and JJ, and later when he comes home you can scold him for not telling us that he's going to be on TV." said William as he watched his son speak to the press.

"Do you have any suspects or leads? What can you tell us?" asked a reporter.

"We're considering all suspects, but we're focusing outside the household at this time, so please respect the Tafferts' privacy and allow them to grieve." said JJ.

"We believe the same person who killed Andy Taffert killed Frankie Clayvin of Memphis 15 years ago." said Spencer.

For the next few minutes they watched Spencer and JJ talk to the press while they were thinking about the young boy who lost his life to the unsub that Spencer and JJ were talking about.

"Although we only know of one other abduction-murder 15 years ago, he may have been overseas, incarcerated, or incapacitated during that time." said JJ.

"So families with young sons should remain vigilant, and we ask that if anybody saw Andy Taffert late at night or at anytime with someone fitting the suspect's description we ask that you call St. Louis FBI immediately. Thank you." said Spencer before he and JJ walked away from the press.

Olivia licked her lips as she watched her husband's backside and Ethel looked at her.

"Control your hormones." whispered Ethel.

Olivia's face heated up causing Ethel, William, Andrew, Joanna, and Gordon to laugh.

"Are you and Spencer going to sneak away for a make out session like you two did last year?" asked Ethel in a teasing manner.

"Maybe, but you guys have to wait and see." smirked Olivia.

Joanna looked at Olivia.

"Last year Andrew and I snuck away for a make out session, and my dad was the one to walk in on us." said Joanna as she smirked at her husband.

"Everyone excluding Spencer's honorary nephews were the ones to walk in on us, and two of Spencer's teammates let out wolf whistles before William spilled the beans about becoming a grandfather again." said Olivia as she gave her father in law a look that she would give her students.

* * *

A short while later Spencer and JJ were at the field office with Rossi and Alex, and Alex was playing the recording for them.

"I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you." said the boy.

"All right, now, this is without the boy's voice. Listen to the background." said Alex.

Spencer, JJ, and Rossi listened to the background.

"The voices are dozens of separate audio bytes all spliced together. Look." said Alex as she showed the different layers on the laptop screen.

"All the different tracks layered on top of each other." said Spencer.

"Exactly. And the boy's voice was the dominant layer." said Alex.

"Were you able to get anything off the background sounds?" asked Spencer.

"There is something." said Alex.

At that moment another recording played.

"Pare! Isso vai sair mais caro a voce." said a woman.

"Now, my Brazilian Portuguese is rusty, but I think she saying "stop, " which is "pare, " and then something about more money, something costing more money." said Alex.

"Can you replay it?" asked JJ.

"Yeah." said Alex as she pressed play again.

Spencer, Rossi, and JJ heard a snapping sound as the same woman spoke.

"Pare! Isso vai sair mais caro a voce." said the woman.

"I hear something right before she says "pare." It sort of sounded like a whip." said JJ.

"And her tone changes. When she says "stop" she sounds afraid, but then the rest is matter of fact." said Spencer.

"So is she just pretending to be scared?" asked Rossi.

"She's asking for more money, so she could be being paid to be tortured." said Alex.

"What if she's a prostitute? This could be an S & M scenario she was hired for." said JJ.

* * *

A while later Spencer and Alex were walking towards a butcher shop.

"This is where a pimp works?" asked Spencer.

"According to our local source, of all the pimps in town, this is the guy known for imported girls." said Alex as she and Spencer entered the shop.

A few minutes later Spencer and Alex were playing the recording to Leon.

"Pare! Isso vai sair mais caro a voce." said the woman.

"Do you know who she is?" asked Alex.

"She's speaking Brazilian Portuguese if that helps jog your memory." said Spencer.

"What am I, Rosetta stone?" asked Leon.

"Well, we have reason to believe she's a prostitute. Any of your girls, maybe from 15 years back, speak Portuguese?" asked Alex.

"I don't know who sent you guys, but you obviously got the wrong idea about me. As you can plainly see, I'm a... Purveyor of fine meats." said Leon.

"No, Leon, we were told that you run a pretty lucrative business on the side." said Spencer.

"Now you're flattering me. I make a mean barbecue sauce, but I don't make much money on it." said Leon.

"You know, I find it interesting you haven't asked what any of this is about." said Alex.

"I have a dreadful lack of curiosity." said Leon.

"Well, let me fill you in. A child was murdered yesterday and at his home they found blood on his front door. Pig's blood." said Alex with a bit of anger hinting in her voice.

Spencer figured out how he and Alex could get Leon to give some names.

"You know what? It actually just occurred to me, but I feel like this is the sort of shop you could find a lot of pig's blood." said Spencer.

Alex inwardly smirked since she realized what Spencer was doing.

"Oh, you're right." said Alex.

"We're not saying you had anything to do with this, Leon. But we are saying that the FBI is desperate for any leads, and it would be a shame if we had to shut your shop down to collect DNA samples to try to identify the source of that pig's blood." said Spencer.

"Now, look. I don't know nothing about blood on a door. But I think I do remember something about, uh, a couple of Brazilian girls who used to work for a... An acquaintance of mine." said Leon.

"What were their names?" asked Spencer.

"Raquel Castro and Luisa Gomez. Raquel moved back to Brazil in '95." said Leon.

"What about Luisa?" asked Alex.

"That bitch? She totally betrayed my buddy." said Leon.

"Did she walk out on him?" asked Alex.

"No. She married his best customer." said Leon.

* * *

Later that evening Spencer was standing by the Taffert's SUV as Alex came over to him.

"The door was open, the engine still running, and the car in park. No signs of a struggle." said Spencer.

"So she stopped for someone voluntarily." said Alex.

"Most likely somebody she knew, but she also would have stopped for a police officer or somebody that was injured." said Spencer.

"Or someone masquerading as such." said Alex.

"The search needs to be expanded to include anyone anyone the Tafferts had contact with before the phone calls began." said Spencer.

"Malcolm Taffert said they didn't tell anyone they were here." said Alex.

"Then somebody must have followed them here, or the unsub found their location through some other means." said Spencer before thinking about Malcolm, "How's he doing?"

Spencer and Alex looked over at Malcolm.

"Just as you'd expect." said Alex.

"To switch from male child victims to a female adult is highly unusual." said Spencer.

"The last call went to Malcolm's cell phone. Maybe this is personal, just like torturing Richard Clayvin in the psychiatric unit was." said Alex.

"The fathers could be the real target of the unsub's rage." said Spencer.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was walking in step with Hotch, talking about what he found.

"There's a GPS tracking app on Malcolm's cell phone. The unsub could have easily located the Tafferts at the motel through that." said Spencer as Hotch's cellphone rang.

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch.

"I have got a list of Eastern European women around the Memphis area who committed suicide within the last 4 decades. It's a short list. The most relevant name is Olga Milworth, who was from Romania." said Garcia.

"Like Nadia Clayvin was." said Spencer.

"Yeah. She was married to an American named Charles Milworth, and 19 years ago she tried to kill herself and her son. Get this-her son survived." said Garcia.

"What's his name?" asked Hotch.

"His name's Daniel Milworth, and he was incarcerated in Arizona for 11 years in a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane because he kidnapped and tortured a prostitute." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"That would explain his dormancy period. Garcia, where is he now?" asked Spencer.

"Uh, well, once he was released, it appears he vanished. There's no record of him anywhere. I'm gonna take a guess he changed his identity." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer was heading to Burt's home address with Rossi and Alex.

"Burt Solomon's been teaching at Andy's school for two years." said Hotch.

"It fits the timeline. He's gotta be our unsub. Burt Solomon, aka Daniel Milworth, probably bought a fake I. D. and even fake teaching credentials." said Rossi.

The phone in the SUV rang, and he put it on speaker so everyone could hear.

"What have you got, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"I've got more information on Daniel Milworth. According to prison psychiatric records, his mom was a Romanian mail order bride. His dad made her perform demeaning sex acts with prostitutes and then he forced young Daniel to watch." said Garcia.

"If the mother spoke poor English and was unskilled, she probably felt trapped in her situation." said JJ.

"In her mind, killing herself and her son was their only means of escape." said Morgan.

"Garcia, how did the mother die?" asked Spencer.

"Uh, she drove a car into a lake. Daniel managed to break out a window and escape." said Garcia.

"Any idea how Daniel Milworth crossed paths with the Clayvins?" asked Alex.

"Yeah. He volunteered as a teacher's aide while he was in college, and one of the schools he happened to work at was Frankie's." said Garcia.

"Seeing the American father/immigrant mother dynamic must have amplified his negative feelings about his own family, especially after Nadia Clayvin committed suicide." said Spencer.

"And after a stint in prison, he saw the same dynamic again in Andy Taffert's parents." said Morgan.

"But Lida Taffert didn't try to commit suicide." said Alex.

"No, she didn't have to. He'd killed once already and he saw the similarity between his own parents and the Tafferts and he turned them into surrogates." said Hotch.

"So he killed the boys to rescue them from their fathers, just as he wished he had been saved." said Rossi.

"Then he may be trying to rescue Lida Taffert, too." said JJ.

"Guys, a red alert. We've got a trace on the last call made to Malcolm Taffert's cell and it seems to be sticking. It's from a remote area 5.2 miles off of Cold Ridge Road." said Garcia.

"All right, we'll head there. But he's good at rerouting calls, so let's split up. Dave, you go to Burt Solomon's house." said Hotch.

"Got it." said Rossi.

A few minutes later Spencer, Rossi, and Alex entered Daniel's home.

"FBI!" shouted Rossi.

Spencer, Rossi, and Alex started clearing Daniel's home.

"Clear!" shouted Alex.

"Clear!" shouted Spencer.

"All clear!" shouted Rossi.

A few seconds later Spencer and Alex met up with Rossi who was standing by computers.

"He's not here." said Spencer.

"Someone's been very busy here." said Rossi as Spencer holstered his revolver, "It's an Angelfish for cloning phone numbers."

Alex used a glove to press the mouse and they saw a video of a young boy wearing a costume.

"I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you. Did you see what I did? Did you see it? I got you, didn't I? I told you I would get you." said a young Danny in a sing song voice before removing the head of his costume.

"Good boy, Danny!" said Danny's mom.

"He used this video to make the recordings." said Alex.

"I'll let the others know that Daniel Milworth's not here." said Rossi as he called Morgan.

As Alex kept on looking at the tapes, Spencer and Rossi were going through the house together and they saw an altar.

"Quite the altar." said Spencer.

"He definitely has a thing about mothers." said Rossi.

Spencer heard some thumping.

"Do you hear that?" asked Spencer.

Spencer and Rossi turned their heads to the sound of the thumping and heard muffled cries.

"It's coming from behind here." said Spencer.

Rossi pulled out his gun as Spencer started to open up the passage way and as Spencer looked at Rossi for the OK, he saw Rossi gesture to his revolver to remind him to pull it out, and a few seconds later Spencer opened the door, only to point their guns at Lida.

"I got Lida, so you explore the passageway." said Rossi.

A few seconds later Spencer was going through the passageway, realizing that he was following Daniel causing him to stay quiet, and as he saw Daniel pull his gun out to shoot Alex, Spencer ended up shooting Daniel in the upper back.

As soon as Alex heard a gun shot, she turned around to see Daniel on the ground with Spencer pointing his gun at Daniel, making her realize that Spencer was the one to discharge his weapon to save her life.

"It's a secret hallway connecting to his bedroom. Lida Taffert was inside." said Spencer as Rossi came into the room.

Rossi checked for a pulse, and as soon as he felt no pulse he shook his head at Spencer.

Spencer sighed, realizing that he killed another man.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer was in the shower, and Hotch pulled out his phone to call Olivia.

"Did something happen to Spencer?" asked a frantic Olivia.

"He ended up taking the kill shot a few hours ago to protect a teammate since the unsub was about to attack another teammate." said Hotch.

"How is he coping with having to take the shot?" asked Olivia.

"He's coping while showing signs that having to take the shot hasn't affected him yet, but I know that it eventually will. And we're going to be back tomorrow." said Hotch.

"Would you like me to pick him up from the BAU tomorrow?" asked Olivia.

"That would be a good idea, and I will have Garcia contact you when we're flying home." said Hotch.

Hotch heard crying from a baby monitor and Olivia spoke up.

"I have to go since Ava is summoning me." said Olivia before hanging up.

A few minutes later a pajama clad Spencer exited the bathroom, and Hotch looked at him.

"Get some sleep, and we're leaving in the morning after I take the Tafferts home." said Hotch.

Spencer nodded as he walked over to his bed, and a few minutes later he fell asleep.

* * *

The following morning Spencer was sitting at the smaller table on the jet working on the required paperwork he had to do about taking the kill shot and Hotch sat across from him, causing him to look up.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Hotch as he noticed a haunted look in Spencer's eyes.

"I am thinking about the conversation that I had with Gideon after I made my first kill shot over eight years ago, and I know that I did the right thing since Daniel was about to shoot Alex." said Spencer quietly.

"And you did the right thing." said Hotch as he looked down at Spencer's paperwork, "You almost done?"

"Yeah, and sometimes it sucks that there's extra paperwork to file when it comes to taking the shot." said Spencer.

"I agree, but it's protocol." said Hotch.

"At least it's Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I will get to see my cousin, his wife, and daughter for the first time since the twins Christening." said Spencer.

"Jack is excited about going to your house for Thanksgiving." said Hotch.

"You just can't turn down Olivia's and my offer since you knew that taking the offer meant that you would get to spend time with your goddaughter." grinned Spencer.

"Now there's the smile that I was hoping to see." said Hotch.

* * *

As Spencer stepped into the bullpen with his teammates, he saw Olivia showing Garcia something on her phone.

"What are you doing here Livy?" asked Spencer as he made his way to Olivia.

"Aaron called me last night to tell me what happened, and we agreed that you shouldn't drive yourself home." said Olivia as she hugged and kissed her husband.

Spencer gave Hotch a small smile to thank him for contacting Olivia before making eye contact with her.

"Is everyone at our house now?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, and they know that you're coming home today." said Olivia.

"Who all is going to be there?" asked Morgan.

"Aunt Ethel, uncle Gordon, my cousin Andrew, Andrew's wife Joanna, and their 13 month old daughter Rachel." said Spencer.

"So there will be five kids to entertain." said Morgan.

"Yes, and the reason why uncle Gordon and Andrew didn't celebrate Thanksgiving with us last year was due to uncle Gordon traveling through Europe to celebrate his retirement and Andrew had to celebrate with his in-laws." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at Olivia.

"Since your husband completed his paperwork, he's free to go." said Hotch.

Olivia looked at Garcia, Morgan, Hotch, and Rossi.

"See you guys tomorrow." said Olivia as she squeezed her husband's hand, "Ready to go Spencer?"

Spencer nodded, and two minutes later Spencer and Olivia were inside the elevators.

* * *

As Spencer and Olivia entered the house, Spencer grinned when he saw Piper showing off one of her books to Albert, Ava, and Rachel as William, Ethel, Gordon, Andrew, and Joanna sat in the living room watching.

"You showing off your book to your siblings and cousin?" asked Spencer.

Piper's eyes went wide when she saw her daddy. She scrambled to her feet and ran to him as Albert and Ava got onto their hands and knees to crawl over to their daddy and Andrew picked up his daughter.

Spencer scooped up his oldest child and hugged her tightly to him.

"I missed you Piper." said Spencer.

"I missed you daddy." said Piper.

As soon as Albert and Ava reached their daddy, Spencer set Piper down, picked up both Albert and Ava and settled them on his hips.

"Dada." said Albert before closing his eyes.

"Dada." said Ava as she closed her eyes.

Olivia giggled as she scooped up a tired Piper.

"You just made Albert and Ava go to sleep." said Olivia.

"Well, let's go settle our kids down for a nap." said Spencer before looking at his dad, aunt, uncle, and cousin, "I will greet you guys as soon as the kids are in bed."

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were in the living room, and Spencer looked at his relatives that he wasn't able to pick up from the airport.

"Sorry that I wasn't there to pick you guys up from the airport." said Spencer.

"It's OK, and I think your bangs need a trim." said Ethel as she moved her nephew's growing bangs from his eyes.

"You should be pleased that my hair is at the length you prefer it to be." teased Spencer.

"I am." said Ethel.

Andrew looked at his cousin.

"Albert and Ava have definitely grown since their Christening, and Piper's super smart for a 17 month old." said Andrew.

"I know, and Rachel definitely looks like you." said Spencer as he looked at Rachel who had blond hair like her father and grandfather.

Andrew looked at her daughter.

"Do you remember Spencer?" asked Andrew.

"Hi." said Rachel.

* * *

Later that night, Spencer woke up, rushed to the master bathroom and vomited into the toilet as Olivia rushed out of bed to assist her husband.

"You OK?" asked Olivia as she rubbed her husband's lower back.

"I knew that having to take the kill shot would eventually get to me." muttered Spencer.

Olivia got off the floor before helping her husband get up, and after Spencer brushed his teeth they both went back to bed, knowing that the next day was going to be a busy day with cooking.

* * *

A/N: Thanksgiving will be in the next chapter and Alex, JJ, Will, and Henry won't be in the chapter at all since JJ's family drove down and Alex flew to Boston.


	11. Thanksgiving and Bully

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, southernbeauty13, Hippichic81, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 10._

 _Sorry about the delay for this chapter. I was dealing with writers block, and I ended up deciding to combine Thanksgiving with the chapter or chapters with the episode Bully._

* * *

As soon as all their guests arrived, Ethel looked at Spencer, Andrew, Hotch, Gordon, William, Morgan, and Rossi.

"Olivia, Joanna, Garcia, and I will take care of cooking while you men are on kid duty this afternoon." said Ethel as she gestured for Olivia, Joanna, and Garcia to follow her into the kitchen.

A minute later Spencer looked at Rossi who was looking like he wanted to follow the ladies.

"Better not argue with aunt Ethel since she believes that the women should deal with cooking while the men entertain the kids when it comes to holiday gatherings like this." said Spencer.

"Then why did she allow me to help during Christmas?" asked Rossi.

"There were more guests here for Christmas dinner last year, and she doesn't want your help since you criticized her cooking skills last year." said Spencer.

"Are we able to have snacks and water?" asked Jack.

"She will send someone out with snacks and water." said Spencer.

At that moment the kitchen door opened revealing Olivia and Joanna who were either carrying a package of bottled water or a bowl of fruit and Olivia handed the water to her husband.

"Just please don't answer too many questions that Garcia asks you about us." said Spencer.

Morgan, Rossi, and Hotch chuckled.

"I promise, Spencer." said Olivia.

After Olivia and Joanna gave their men one last kiss, they headed back into the kitchen, and a few minutes later Jack looked at Spencer.

"Uncle Spencer, can we put on a little magic show for Piper, Albert, Ava, and Rachel when they wake up?" asked Jack.

"Sure." said Spencer before looking at Jack, "How is the third grade going?" asked Spencer.

"I am learning multiplication in math, and in a few weeks I will be learning division." said Jack.

Spencer realized that while everyone waited for Piper, Rachel, Albert, and Ava to wake up he knew that he could quiz Jack on his multiplication.

"What's five times four?" asked Spencer.

Jack quickly thought about it.

"20." said Jack.

"Great job, bud." said Spencer as he gave Jack a high five.

"I do have flash cards that my teacher wants us to use, and I brought them with me since I was hoping that you could quiz me." said Jack.

"Go get them." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was sitting on the floor with Jack, quizzing Jack on his multiplication.

* * *

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Olivia and Garcia were chopping vegetables for the salad, and Garcia looked at Olivia who was wearing skinny jeans and a light pink blouse while her hair was pulled back into a ponytail since Ethel told her, Olivia, and Joanna to put their hair in ponytails before they got started.

"You're looking pretty great for someone who gave birth to twins six months ago." said Garcia.

"The twins don't turn six months old until tomorrow, Penelope." said Olivia.

"I know, but what's your secret to losing all that baby weight?" asked Garcia.

"Breastfeeding, eating healthy, running a few times a week, and going to Zumba once a week." said Olivia.

"Does Reid go running with you?" asked Garcia.

"He does, and we load up the kids in our two jogging strollers so William can have some time for himself." said Olivia.

At that moment Ethel looked at Garcia and Olivia from the turkey she was checking.

"Enough girl talk and get chopping." said Ethel.

"Yes, aunt Ethel." said Olivia.

Garcia looked at Olivia and whispered.

"How could your husband deal with an aunt who's that strict?" asked Garcia.

Olivia started giggling.

"The other day we watched Spencer speak to the press on TV, and she saw me licking my lips as I watched my husband walk away from the press causing her to tell me to control my hormones. And if we didn't have family arrive this week for Thanksgiving after seeing him talk to the press on national television, I would have jumped him when he got home." whispered Olivia.

Garcia started to giggle since these were the types of details she wanted to hear from Olivia.

"During the next girls night out that you join JJ and me on, I really want more details." whispered Garcia.

* * *

After Spencer got Jack through the last flash card, he got up and walked over to the iPad that contained footage of Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's nurseries and noticed that Piper was awake and sitting in her crib.

"Piper's awake, so I am going to go get her." said Spencer as he headed for the stairs.

A minute later Spencer was in Piper's nursery and Spencer smiled at his oldest child.

"Hi daddy." said Piper as she scrambled up to her feet.

"Did you have a good nap?" asked Spencer as he scooped up Piper out of her crib.

"Yes." said Piper.

A few minutes later Spencer had a clean diaper put on Piper, and she walked over to her toy bin and pulled out one of her dolls.

"Pway wit me Daddy." said Piper as she held a doll out to her daddy.

"Uncle Aaron and Jack arrived right after I took you up here for a nap, and in a few hours we are going to be eating turkey." said Spencer.

Piper ran out of the nursery with the doll still in her arms, and stopped at the top of the stairs where a baby gate was still set up. Spencer shook his head when he saw Piper pouting at the baby gate that was up for her own safety.

"Go down daddy." said Piper as she pointed at the stairs.

"Just a few minutes Goober, since I want to check on your little brother and sister." said Spencer.

"I wan go down now." said Piper as she pouted at her daddy.

Spencer saw Hotch coming up the stairs.

"Need some help Spencer?" asked Hotch as he smiled at his goddaughter who was pouting at her daddy as he stood at the top of the stairs.

Piper turned around and grinned when she saw her godfather.

"Unca Aaron." said Piper.

"She wants to play with you and Jack, but I wanted to check on her brother and sister first." said Spencer.

"How about I take her downstairs so you can check on the twins." said Hotch as he reached out and scooped up his goddaughter, while making sure to hold onto Piper's doll.

"Thanks." said Spencer as he heard both Albert and Ava start crying, "Would you mind having my dad come up here to help so I only have to deal with one twin?" asked Spencer.

"Sure." said Hotch as he headed downstairs with Piper in his arms before turning his head to look at Spencer, "Piper has inherited your pout." said Hotch.

A few minutes later Spencer and William were coming downstairs with the twins.

* * *

A few hours later everyone was sitting around the expandable table or high chairs enjoying the meal that Ethel, Olivia, Joanna, and Garcia made together, and Hotch looked at Spencer.

"So when are you going to take the trip to Vegas to see your mom?" asked Hotch.

"We're hoping on spending Christmas in Vegas this year since we couldn't make the trip last year due to me having a tonsillectomy over a week before Christmas." said Spencer.

"Since we were required to stay in the area last year, it's our turn again to have Christmas off." said Hotch.

Spencer, Olivia, and William smiled at each other and Rossi looked at Spencer, Olivia, and William.

"I will cover the plane tickets." said Rossi.

"You don't have to, Rossi." said Spencer.

"It would be my Christmas gift for you guys." said Rossi.

* * *

A week and a half later Spencer was walking with Rossi towards Alex who was getting checked out by a medic.

"Uh-huh. You got it, Hotch. We'll meet you at the airport." said Rossi before hanging up with Hotch and looked at Alex, "Hey. You sure you're OK?"

"Oh, yeah. It's nothing." said Alex.

"A couple inches to your right and he could have hit your brachial artery. All things considered, you were extraordinarily lucky." said Spencer.

"Yeah, luck had nothing to do with it. I'm practically bulletproof." said Alex.

"Yeah, I heard that about you." said Rossi.

At that moment Rossi looked at Spencer as Alex's phone rang.

"All right, let's finish this up and go home." said Rossi.

Spencer followed Rossi while sending Olivia a quick text message.

I'M COMING HOME TONIGHT. ~ SR

* * *

Spencer was flying back to Virginia with his teammates when Garcia's face popped up on the monitors.

"OK, sir, I'm ready." said Garcia.

Hotch and Alex got up from where they were sitting and walked over to Spencer, Rossi, JJ, and Morgan.

"All right. Can I have your attention, everyone? Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch.

"Alrighty, then. Last night in Kansas City well, technically, super early this morning, 50-year-old David Morrison was beaten to death when he was out jogging. Information is on your tablets right now." said Garcia.

"It looks brutal." said JJ.

"Classic overkill." said Rossi.

Spencer looked at JJ's tablet as he spoke.

"He was found stripped and wearing women's underwear that I'm assuming weren't his." said Spencer.

"Yeah. All of his clothes were found nearby, his skivvies included." said Garcia.

"Any evidence of sexual assault?" asked Rossi.

"We're still waiting on the M. E. report." said Garcia,

"Any other victims, Garcia?" asked Morgan.

"That is a big maybe. Meet Tommy Barnes and Melissa Hawthorne, also on your tablets." said Garcia.

"A year ago they disappeared from a house party and were found beaten in much the same fashion." said Alex.

"There were two of them and they're considerably younger than this most recent victim." said Spencer.

"Yeah, and what about the women's underwear? And that's a pretty specific ritual aspect. These two were found fully clothed." said JJ.

"Are we sure that it's the same unsub?" asked Morgan.

"My dad thinks it is." said Alex.

"Your dad's a captain on the Kansas City police force, right?" asked Morgan.

"Retired." said Alex.

"But your brother's a cop, too." said JJ.

"Scott. He's a homicide detective, but my dad is the one who made the call." said Alex.

"If he's retired, it's not exactly an official invitation." said Rossi.

"No, but he's got lots of influence." said Hotch.

"Well, maybe we should wait for the invite. We can't just force ourselves on local jurisdiction." said JJ.

"What if it's actually serial?" asked Morgan.

"We'll go back if they ask us to." said JJ.

"Look, my dad's a great cop, and he's almost never wrong. I mean, it drives me crazy, but it's true." said Alex.

"We don't know exactly what we've got here, but I think it's worth taking a look. Have the pilot reroute us to Kansas City." said Hotch.

As soon as the plane was rerouted, Spencer called Olivia.

"Hey Spencer." said Olivia.

"We got called in for another case." said Spencer.

"Where?" asked Olivia.

"Kansas City, Missouri." said Spencer.

"Alex's hometown?" asked Olivia.

"Yes, and I'm sorry that it's going to be a few days before I come home." said Spencer.

"It's OK Spencer, and right now the kids are awake if you want to talk to them before you have to hang up." said Olivia.

"Please put them on." said Spencer.

A few seconds later he heard Piper's voice while the twins started to babble through the phone, causing his face to break into a wide grin.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hey there Piper. Are you being good for mommy and grandpa?" asked Spencer.

"I a good girl." said Piper.

"Yes you are." said Olivia.

"You come home so we can pway?" asked Piper.

"Your aunts, uncles, and I have been asked to help put another naughty in a really long time out, but when I come home I will play with you." said Spencer.

"OK daddy." said Piper before running off to play with Einstein and Olivia looked at Ava.

"Who's that on the phone?" asked Olivia.

"Dada!" squealed Ava.

"How's my little birdie doing?" asked Spencer.

Ava started to babble away.

"Is that so?" asked Spencer.

"Ya." said Ava before she decided to crawl over to Einstein and her big sister.

"Dada." said Albert.

"How's my little buckaroo?" asked Spencer.

Albert started to babble before Olivia spoke up.

"Albert has a stinky diaper right now, so I am going to let you get back to work. Please stay safe and I love you." said Olivia.

"I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

As soon as the jet landed, Spencer followed Hotch and Alex to an SUV and Alex climbed into the back seat causing Spencer to get into the front seat. A few minutes later Spencer and Hotch were talking about the case while Alex quietly looked out the window and noticed changes in her hometown.

"David Morrison was a novelist, Tommy Barnes and Melissa Hawthorne high school students. No apparent connection between the victims, no matching DNA samples." said Spencer.

"And an entire year between kills." said Hotch.

"You know, the underwear ritual may be about symbolic humiliation." said Spencer.

"Or a shock factor for whoever found the bodies." said Hotch.

Spencer looked back at Alex who was sitting in the back seat looking out the window.

"Blake, did your dad say anything else about why he thinks these cases are connected?" asked Spencer.

Alex stayed silent, causing Spencer to get concerned.

"Blake?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah?" asked Alex.

"Everything all right?" asked Hotch.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. Just I'm distracted." said Alex.

"Perfectly understandable. The familiar sounds, visual cues, even olfactory inputs, can trigger memories and emotions we thought were long gone. Happens to me every time I go home, too." said Spencer.

"When was the last time you were back?" asked Hotch.

"When Olivia was 20 weeks pregnant with the twins." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at Spencer while being glad that even though Spencer changed quite a bit since Olivia entered his life, he is the same Spencer Reid that everyone loves.

"I was talking to Blake." said Hotch.

"Uh, it's been about 5 years." said Alex.

"That's a long time." said Hotch as he thought back to how much coaxing it took him to get Spencer to go visit his mom after being in the BAU for over two and a half years.

"Yeah, once I got out of Kansas City, I pretty much wanted to stay out." said Alex.

Spencer looked at Alex and gave her an understanding look.

* * *

The following morning Spencer walked out of the house where Gil and Renee Patterson lived and approached Alex.

"Gil and Renee Patterson were good, hard-working people. He was a bank manager, she was a nurse." said Spencer.

"If all these victims were targets, then what's the connection?" asked Alex.

"Maybe they're not targets. Maybe they're surrogates." said Spencer.

"For who?" asked Alex as Detective Miller approached them.

"So, um, apparently, a neighbor found the bodies when she came by and saw the door was ajar." said Detective Miller.

"Do the Pattersons have any next of kin? We're gonna need to talk to them." said Alex.

"Yeah, they do. They have a daughter named Laurie. She's a senior at the University of Missouri." said Detective Miller.

* * *

Spencer entered the living room as Morgan answered a call from Garcia.

"Hey, what you got, mama?" asked Morgan.

"So it turns out our dead jogger David Morrison bounced around as a substitute English teacher before he published his first book. 4 years ago, he worked for a week at Jefferson High School, and that is the same school that Tommy Barnes and Melissa Hawthorne went to." said Garcia.

"The Pattersons have a daughter." said JJ.

"Laurie." said Spencer.

"Garcia, where did Laurie Patterson go to high school?" asked Morgan.

"That would be... Jefferson." said Garcia.

"And when did she graduate?" asked Morgan.

"Um... 4 years ago." said Garcia.

"So she was there at the same time Morrison was." said JJ.

"All right, I'll call Hotch. We need to give the profile." said Morgan.

* * *

"Based on his victims and on local demographics, we believe we're looking for a Caucasian male in his late teens to early 20s." started Hotch.

"He's a sadist with rage issues, which accounts for the high level of violence in each of his kills." said Rossi.

"All 5 of his victims are in some way connected to Jefferson high school." said Morgan.

"Which leads us to believe he's either a former student or employee." said Alex.

"Why former?" asked Detective Miller.

"Because we also think he has a drug problem." said Alex.

"The addiction plus his anger issues means that he probably lacks the social skills required to stay in school or hold down a steady job." said Morgan.

"Because brute force and humiliation are the hallmarks of his M. O., we believe his kills are somehow rooted in revenge." said Spencer.

"We think he may have been traumatically humiliated in some way in the recent past." said Rossi.

"Probably as an adolescent, which makes this very personal to him." said Hotch.

"Now he's looking for payback." said Morgan.

"So why did this guy wait a whole year after his first murders?" asked Detective Miller.

"We think he may have been incarcerated." said Hotch.

"So you should be looking at violent offenders or any younger ex-cons you may be familiar with." said JJ.

"We think his first kills were experiments of sorts. He was just getting a taste for it." said Rossi.

"Tommy Barnes and Melissa Hawthorne had more defensive wounds than any of his other victims." said Alex.

"And they apparently put up quite a fight." said Spencer.

"It's not easy to blitz attack two people at once." said Rossi.

"So whether he was locked up or not, he probably took a year off to perfect his craft to make sure that never happened again." said Morgan.

"He's physically fit and probably works out a lot, so he may frequent inexpensive gyms or health clubs." said Alex.

"And don't forget, this guy used his bare hands to kill his victims. He will not be easily deterred." said JJ.

"So proceed with caution. As his grip on reality continues to fade, he'll become more dangerous." finished Hotch.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was standing by his teammates talking about what to do next.

"We should cross-check our list of recently released ex-cons again." said JJ.

"Garcia and I have been over it twice. Nobody matches the profile." said Hotch as Morgan answered Garcia's phone call.

"Hey, baby girl, you got the whole crew. Go ahead." said Morgan.

"OK, here's the skinny on Jefferson High. Really great football team, state champ two years in a row, Go Bulldogs. The only notable thing that has happened at that high school in the last 10 years besides the murder of Tommy Barnes and Melissa Hawthorne is the death of another student, Riley Wilson, 4 years ago. Sending. Information streaming to your tablets now." said Garcia.

"He wrapped his car around a telephone pole." said Alex.

"Yeah. There was a lot of speculation it was a suicide. Tox report was clean. He was totally sober." said Garcia.

"He was a senior and got straight As. Nothing in his disciplinary file." said Rossi.

Spencer, who was reading from Rossi's tablet, spoke up.

"He was at Jefferson the same time as David Morrison and Laurie Patterson." said Spencer.

"Garcia, we need a list of every student and employee at Jefferson while Riley Wilson was a student." said Hotch.

"Parents and family members, too, Garcia." said Morgan.

"Compiling that list now. It is a lot of names. I will hit you back ASAP." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer and his teammates watched the ambulance pull away, and a few minutes later Spencer was helping his teammates go through the recent crime scene.

"The unsub was probably already here when your brother arrived. But he didn't kill him." said Rossi

"Because Charles was the target." said Hotch.

"So this guy's mission oriented." said Rossi as Spencer picked something up.

"I believe the unsub may have stolen Scott's firearm." said Spencer as he showed the holster.

"Doesn't match his M. O., but that won't stop him from using it." said Rossi.

Alex, who was going through her brother's notes, spoke up.

"There's something in here. He wrote, "Charles and Riley good friends, " but he underlined the words "good" and "friends."" said Alex.

"That mean something to you?" asked Hotch.

"Yeah. He used to do that when we were kids. Usually when something really irritated him." said Alex.

"He underlined words when he was irritated?" asked Rossi.

"Yeah. Our mother used to make us write letters to each other to help us resolve our conflicts. She thought it was a good way to learn how to express our feelings." said Alex.

"Smart lady." said Rossi.

"What was it about the words "good friends" that got to him?" asked Alex as her phone rang and she answered her father's call, "Hey, Dad, how's he doing?"

A few minutes later Alex hung up, and looked at Spencer, Hotch, and Rossi.

"Scott's going to be OK." said Alex.

* * *

A short while later Spencer, Alex, Hotch, and Rossi were back at the station, and JJ told them what happened to Riley, causing everyone including Spencer to think back to when he told them about the time he was tied to a goalpost naked.

"Laurie Patterson was away at school, so he couldn't go after her." said Morgan.

"So he goes after her parents instead. That was his way of maximizing her suffering." said Rossi.

"Laurie's ex, Sergeant Lance Tate, is doing his third tour in Afghanistan. His parents moved to Arizona." said JJ as Morgan answered a phone call from Garcia.

"Hey. You're on speaker, Garcia." said Morgan.

"Hot off my keyboard, I took the names Laurie gave us and I cross-checked them with Riley Wilson's texts, emails, and social media. I got two hits. One's a Kevin Russ. That was his chemistry lab partner. And the second and way more interesting is a kid named Ronald Underwood." said Garcia.

"What's so interesting about him?" asked Rossi.

"It looks like they were actually pretty good friends. Ronald dropped out of school right after Riley died." said Garcia.

"What else do we know about Underwood?" asked Hotch.

"Uh, dad is out of the picture. He lives with his mom, who has 4, 4 DUIs. He spends a cra-cra-crazy amount of time on the Internet, mostly looking at porn and MMA sites and- Oh. The Internet is also where he buys his anabolic steroids." said Garcia.

"If this is all about bullying, the unsub may have been a victim himself." said Spencer as he wondered why the school hasn't done anything about the bullying that Riley and Ronald went through

"He may also feel responsible for what happened to Riley." said JJ as she glanced at Spencer and thought back to how bad high school was bad for him.

"And he's targeting the bullies and the adults who did nothing to stop it." said Hotch as he thought back to when Spencer told him about two of his worst days in high school while being glad that Spencer didn't turn into an unsub like Owen Savage and Ronald Underwood.

"Laurie said a substitute teacher and a Mr. Ramsey were there the day of the practical joke." said Alex.

"David Morrison had to be the sub." said Morgan.

"Garcia, where's Mr. Ramsey now?" asked Hotch.

"Harold Ramsey, history teacher. He still works at Jefferson high." said Garcia.

"All right, send contact numbers and addresses for both Harold Ramsey and Ronald Underwood." said Hotch.

"Sent and sent." said Garcia.

"Thanks." said Hotch before Morgan hung up.

* * *

As Spencer headed to the high school with Alex and Hotch, Alex called Mr. Ramsey to try and warn him what's going on before Alex heard Ramsey get attacked, and a few minutes later Spencer was standing with his teammates briefing officers and SWAT members about what was going on.

"We believe Underwood is in possession of a stolen police issue Glock 19. We'll split up into 3 groups, we'll go room to room, and we'll all meet back in the main hallway." said Hotch.

Because we're back where it all started with Underwood, this is likely his endgame." said Rossi.

"Which means there's no telling how far he'll go to play this thing out, so be safe." said Morgan.

A minute later Spencer and JJ were going through the school with two SWAT members who were leading them around the section of the school they were given, and a few minutes later they met up with the others surrounding Ronald. Spencer chose to stay silent since he knew that Hotch would want him to stay in line since the case was reminding him of Owen Savage, and a short while later Ronald surrendered.

* * *

Hotch just got off the phone as a freshly showered Spencer exited their hotel room bathroom in his pajamas.

"You doing OK since you identified with the unsub?" asked Hotch.

"I'm doing OK, but I know that if it wasn't for my aunt and uncle I'm not sure where I would be today since I could have turned out like Ronald and Owen." said Spencer.

"You had adults that were there to support you, and I'm proud of you for staying in line this time." said Hotch.

"I know, and I'm afraid what Olivia would have done to me if I put myself in danger like I did during the Owen Savage case." said Spencer.

"I think the worst she would have done is ban you from drinking coffee and make you sleep on the couch." said Hotch.

"I think so, too." said Spencer.

"Isn't your 20 year reunion happening soon?" asked Hotch.

"The reunion is supposed to be one week after Piper turns two, and Olivia thinks that we should go since we could use that time to take the kids to visit my mom." said Spencer.

"She's right about taking the kids to see your mom, and I think you should go to that reunion and brag about how successful you became." said Hotch.

"Olivia said the same thing." said Spencer.

"I know that you have been told this countless times, but you definitely married a wise woman." said Hotch as he thought about how excited Olivia was about coming to Kansas City for a barbecue at Alex's father's house when he called her while Spencer was taking a shower.

"I know." said Spencer.

"Get some sleep since we are having the barbecue at Mr. Miller's house tomorrow." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer's eyes went wide when he saw Olivia walking towards them with Garcia, and a few seconds later he was deeply kissing his wife despite the wolf whistles that were going around in the airport.

"Why are you here?" asked Spencer.

"Aaron told me that I was flying out with Penelope for this barbecue, and you do know that I can never decline a barbecue invitation." said Olivia.

"I'm glad you came Livy, but is dad OK dealing with a 17 month old and two six month old twins by himself?" asked Spencer.

"Jessica is helping dad out." said Olivia.

"I really missed you this past week, and I would really like my sweater back." said Spencer.

"You mean this one?" smirked Olivia as she wrapped her husband's sweater tighter around herself.

"Yes." said Spencer as he used his eyes on Olivia.

"You win, but I want to wear your winter jacket." said Olivia as she removed her husband's thick sweater.

"Deal." smiled Spencer as he removed his jacket.

A few seconds later he was wearing his thick sweater while Olivia wore his navy blue pea coat.

* * *

As Spencer and Olivia entered Mr. Miller's house, and Damon looked at Olivia before looking at Spencer.

"You sure did snag a pretty one." said Damon.

"I know." said Spencer.

"Let's head outside while we wait for my kids to arrive." said Damon.

A few seconds later Hotch slightly smirked when he saw Olivia wearing her husband's winter jacket while Spencer wore one of his sweaters that he assumed Olivia brought along.

"Cruz said that it was OK for you to fly home with us, Olivia." said Hotch.

"Thank you for asking me to come out here with Penelope." said Olivia as she accepted a soda from Rossi.

A minute later Spencer wrapped an arm around Olivia, and Olivia happily curled into his side while they stayed standing. Olivia was telling everyone about Piper's reaction to her going away.

"She was crying when I left with Penelope, but I told her that when I come home her daddy would be with me." said Olivia.

Spencer leaned his head down a bit to share a brief kiss on the lips with Olivia.

"I sure missed them." sighed Spencer.

"Piper's already excited about you coming home, Spencer." said Olivia as she smiled up at her husband.

A few minutes later Damon went back into the house before Garcia went inside, and before they knew it Alex, Garcia, Scott, and Damon were outside and Alex's eyes went wide when she saw Olivia with her husband.

"Oh, you're all here. My worlds are colliding." laughed Alex as she smiled at Olivia, who was happily tucked into her husband's side.

"And your dad promised ribs." said Hotch.

"And your pops is no joke on this grill." said Morgan.

"Can't celebrate unless the whole family's here." said Damon as he smiled to the young married couple who was happy to be together again.

"I can't argue with that." said Alex.

"Who needs a cold one?" asked Rossi as he passed more drinks around while Spencer grabbed more chips, despite the look that Olivia was giving him as she grabbed a soda.

"Don't mind if I do." said JJ.

A few seconds later everyone was clinking their glasses together and Spencer held up the chips in his hand.

Morgan looked at Spencer after they finished the toast.

"Did you really have to use the chips in your hand for that toast?" asked Morgan.

"You should be glad that I am not eating or drinking any dairy at the moment." smirked Spencer.

"My husband is right." teased Olivia.

"I love it when I hear you say those words." said Spencer, causing everyone including Hotch to laugh.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"What about when I tell you that I love you?" asked Olivia.

"Hearing you say I love you to me are my most favorite words from you while my favorite word that Piper, Albert, and Ava say is daddy." said Spencer as he kissed his wife again.

"Get a room, you two." said Morgan.

"You two are making me really miss Will right now." said JJ.

* * *

A few hours later everyone was flying home, and Spencer and Olivia were sleeping together in one of their favorite positions on the couch. When Garcia was sure that her favorite couple was sleeping she took a picture of them.

"I'm not sure that they would appreciate you taking their picture." whispered Morgan as Penelope joined them.

"Watching boy wonder cuddle with his wife is the cutest scene." said Garcia.

Spencer cracked open an eye as he spoke.

"I thought that you considered watching me cuddle with my two little girls the cutest scene?" asked Spencer.

Everyone turned their heads towards Spencer and Olivia who were wide awake and smirking.

"You two were awake the entire time?" asked Morgan.

"The flash of the camera woke us up, and we wanted to hear what you guys had to say about our intimate moment." said Olivia.

* * *

Later that night, Spencer closed the book that he was reading to Piper, and Piper looked up at her daddy.

"I love you daddy." said Piper.

"I love you too Piper." said Spencer as he got up with Piper in his arms.

"Seep wit you daddy?" asked Piper.

"You can since I need one of my favorite cuddle bugs to sleep with your mommy and I." said Spencer. as he swooped Piper onto his shoulders.

"Al and Ava sleeping with us too?" asked Piper.

"Just you tonight." said Spencer as headed to the master bedroom with Piper on his shoulders.

"She sleeping with us?" asked Olivia.

"She asked me if she could sleep with us, and I couldn't say no to her." said Spencer as he laid Piper on the middle of the bed before getting in himself, causing Piper to curl into his side and fall asleep instantly with her thumb in her mouth.

"Eventually you won't be able to say yes to her all the time." whispered Olivia.

"I know, but she and Ava are my princesses while you're my queen." whispered Spencer as he removed his glasses and set them on the night stand.

"We should get some sleep since you have that honey do list to complete during your day off tomorrow." whispered Olivia.

"Love you." whispered Spencer.

"Love you too." whispered Olivia.

Spencer and Olivia closed their eyes, knowing that they had a busy day the next day.


	12. Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 11._

 _My grandmother was the one to insist that Spencer's uncle owns a ranch that has horses, and my grandma said that 18 month old Piper can ride a horse as long as she's wearing a helmet._

 _Sorry that this chapter is on the shorter side, but I promise that the next chapter will be longer._

 _You guys might think of a certain scene from season 2 in this chapter, but I don't have JJ and Garcia reveal that they work for the FBI since they're wanting to keep a low profile outside of work due to the enemies that they gain._

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, William, and Piper were eating their breakfast while Albert and Ava were happily bouncing in their baby bouncers when Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Do you really have to go Christmas shopping with JJ and Garcia?" asked Spencer.

"They invited me to go Christmas shopping with them, and I do have last minute shopping to do." said Olivia.

"Please make sure that Garcia doesn't go overboard on shopping." said Spencer.

"JJ and I made a pact on not leaving her alone in any store." said Olivia.

Spencer sighed in relief.

"So what are you two men going to do with the kids today?" asked Olivia.

"We're going to be packing for Vegas since we're all flying out next Friday." said Spencer.

"So should we open our gifts on Thursday?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah." said Spencer.

"What about playing in the snow?" asked Olivia.

"I'm already planning on taking Piper outside since she's old enough to play in the snow." said Spencer.

At that moment Olivia's phone vibrated, and she saw that it was JJ.

"JJ and Penelope are here." said Olivia as she got up and looked at Piper, "You be good for Daddy and Papa." said Olivia as she kissed her oldest daughter's head before grabbing a wipe.

"Mommy go bye bye?" asked Piper as her mommy wiped the maple syrup off her face.

"Mommy is going Christmas shopping with auntie Penny and auntie JJ." said Olivia.

"I come wit?" asked Piper.

"You're staying with daddy and papa since I'm going Christmas shopping." said Olivia.

"Bye mommy." said Piper as she waved at her.

* * *

Olivia, JJ, and Garcia were sitting at a table in the mall's food court, and a young man came over to them and looked at Olivia.

"Mind if I buy you a cup of coffee?" asked the man.

Olivia quickly thought about it as JJ and Garcia smirked.

"I'm not sure if my husband who works for the FBI would appreciate you hitting on me." said Olivia as she flashed the man her bridal set.

The man suddenly looked a bit scared at the thought of an FBI agent arresting him for hitting on his wife before turning to a smirking JJ.

"What about you?" asked the man.

"I'm not sure if my husband who is a police officer would like you hitting on me." said JJ as she showed off her wedding band.

The man turned to Garcia.

"I'm also taken." said Garcia.

The dejected man walked away, and as soon as he was out of earshot JJ, Olivia, and Garcia burst out laughing, gaining looks from other people sitting at tables near them.

As soon as Garcia sobered up, she looked at JJ as she spoke.

"This was just like the time that you, Emily, and me owned a guy who was pretending to be an FBI agent, but instead none of us are single and you two used your husbands professions to scare him a bit." said Garcia.

JJ laughed at the memory, and when JJ stopped laughing Garcia looked at Olivia and JJ.

"You two have to give me details about how your relationships are going with your husbands." said Garcia before looking at Olivia, "Youngest goes first."

"Things are going pretty great, and Spencer's very romantic when we have date nights." smiled Olivia.

"You mean by working on baby Reid number four?" asked Garcia.

"We agreed to wait until the kids are out of diapers, and my doctor wants me to wait a few years since I did deliver three kids in less than a year." said Olivia.

"What about practicing?" asked Garcia.

Olivia's cheeks turned a bit pink as she thought about the last time she and Spencer were able to have mommy and daddy time.

"Details." said Garcia.

"I'm not telling you since I'm married to the man you two consider a little brother." said Olivia.

"I agree with Olivia." said JJ.

Garcia looked at JJ.

"How are you and Will doing? What about giving Henry a little brother or sister?" asked Garcia.

JJ quickly thought about it while thinking about the rumor mill that started about her having an affair after Cruz became Section Chief.

"Things are going pretty great, and we are going to wait a few years before giving Henry a little brother or sister." said JJ as she thought about the baby she lost in Afghanistan that only Cruz and Strauss knew about.

At that moment Olivia's cellphone gave off a text message alert, and she saw a picture of Spencer helping Piper decorate a snowman, causing her to smile.

"What is it?" asked Garcia.

"Spencer took Piper outside to play in the snow, and dad sent me a picture of them decorating a snowman together." said Olivia as she showed the picture to JJ and Garcia.

"Aww." cooed JJ and Garcia.

* * *

As Spencer pulled the rental mini van up the long driveway of his uncle's ranch, he smiled at the sight of the canyon in the background.

"I so want to go horseback riding later." said Olivia.

Spencer smiled at his wife and parked the van as Gordon and one of his ranch caretakers came outside and helped them with their bags and strollers.

"You guys do know that I could have picked you up from the airport." said Gordon.

"Rossi insisted on paying for a rental for us so we don't have to borrow your car every time we want to go to town." said Spencer as he got Piper out of her car seat while William and Olivia took care of getting Albert and Ava out of the van.

"I have two cribs for Albert and Ava to sleep in." said Gordon.

"One of the cribs is Rachel's for when she, Andrew, and Joanna come down from Reno?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Gordon.

"And before moving out to DC, Gordon told me to drop off the crib I had for Piper here." said William.

Olivia looked at Spencer.

"I guess Piper will sleep with us." said Olivia.

Spencer grinned.

Gordon looked at his great nieces and great nephew who were in the process of falling asleep.

"How about you three put the kids down for a nap, and Joshua and I will get your bags into the house." said Gordon.

"Thanks." said Olivia.

Joshua looked at Spencer.

"It's nice to see you again Spencer, and I hope that you help me take care of the horses while you're here." said Joshua.

"I'm already planning on it, and even though I have an aversion to germs, horses are one of the exemptions since I have been around them since I was a child whenever I come out here." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Piper, Albert, and Ava were fast asleep and before Spencer and Olivia knew it they were in the stable that contained uncle Gordon's horses.

"You two thinking about riding while your kids nap?" asked Joshua as he looked at the young married couple who were both wearing jeans, fleece pullovers, and riding boots.

"Yes." said Spencer.

"You two are lucky that Gordon had me prep the horses this morning." said Joshua as he started to help Spencer and Olivia get set up, "And don't forget to put on your helmets."

"We won't." said Spencer as he grabbed his helmet and passed Olivia the helmet that Gordon kept for her during her first visit to the ranch when they started dating.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were riding around Gordon's ranch while Spencer took in the familiar sights.

"Its good to be home away from DC." said Spencer.

"It feels so good to be riding a horse again." said Olivia as she made her horse speed up a bit.

Spencer made his horse go faster as he talked.

"I agree, and maybe later I can have Piper ride with me since she's old enough to ride a horse with our help." said Spencer.

"When are we going to go see your mom?" asked Olivia.

"Mom wants us to wait until tomorrow since we had a long flight." said Spencer.

After riding around for another half hour, they decided to head back to the house, and when they were walking the two horses back into the stable they saw Gordon with Piper in his arms.

"Go ahead and give Snowball that carrot." said Gordon.

Piper gave Snowball the carrot, and Snowball neighed in approval after eating, causing Piper to laugh.

"Are you having fun?" asked Spencer.

Piper turned her head and her eyes went wide when she saw her mommy and daddy with two horses.

"Mommy and daddy ide ponies?" asked Piper.

"We sure did, and maybe I will have you ride one with me later." said Spencer and Olivia passed the two horses that they rode to Joshua.

"I have a saddle that will fit both you and Piper." said Gordon.

"What about a helmet?" asked Olivia.

"I got Piper a helmet for Christmas, but I am willing to give it to her sooner since Christmas Eve is four days away." said Gordon.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Can we ide now?" asked Piper.

"I guess we can ride Snowball since he has already taken a liking to you." said Spencer.

"I will go grab the helmet I bought for Piper." said Gordon.

"And I am going to go grab your tablet since I have to film you two." said Olivia.

15 minutes later Olivia was making a video of Spencer and Piper experiencing Piper's first time on a horse before sending the video to Spencer's teammates.

* * *

Meanwhile in Washington DC, Hotch was checking his email and noticed that he was sent a video from Olivia. He opened it and smiled when he saw a smiling Spencer and Piper sitting on a horse together with Spencer sitting behind his oldest child who was wearing a helmet like her father.

"Greetings from Nevada. I'm about to take Piper riding for the first time, and we decided to film Piper's first few minutes on a horse." said Spencer.

"Can you say hi to everyone?" asked Olivia.

"Hi." said Piper as she waved for the video before hanging onto the part that her daddy told her to hang onto.

"Can you try to tell everyone Merry Christmas before we start riding?" asked Spencer.

"Merry Chrismas." said Piper.

At that moment Olivia was backing away.

"Want to tell the horse the magic words?" asked Spencer.

"Giddy up." shouted Piper.

Spencer did a certain movement causing the horse to start walking, and Piper started giggling as her daddy steered the horse around the property while picking up some speed. Two minutes later Olivia's face was showing instead of Spencer and a giggling Piper riding a horse together.

"Well Piper's having the time of her life at her great-uncle's ranch, and depending on how much fun she is having during the next few days we might need to look into riding lessons for her when she's old enough. I'm about to hop onto a horse so I can get some riding in before Spencer and I dress up to make the reservations we made. I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and we will see you guys when we come back to DC in time for New Years." said Olivia before the video feed went black

* * *

Later that evening, Piper looked at her mommy and daddy who were dressed up.

"You go bye bye?" asked Piper.

"Yes sweet pea." said Olivia.

Spencer knelt down to Piper's eye level.

"You be good for Papa William and uncle Gordon while mommy and I are away." said Spencer.

Piper looked at her great uncle and grandpa as her daddy rose back to his full height.

"We ide ponies?" asked Piper.

Spencer, Olivia, William, and Gordon chuckled since they knew that Piper had so much fun riding a horse with her daddy.

"It's dark out right now, but in the morning your daddy can take you for a ride before you get to see Nana Diana." said Gordon.

Piper start looking around for her grandma.

"Nana?" asked Piper.

"She's not here right now, but we will be seeing her in the morning." said Spencer as he wondered when and how he's going to need to explain to Piper, Albert, and Ava that their grandmother has schizophrenia.

At that moment Gordon smelled a stinky diaper and looked at his great niece.

"You need your diaper changed right now, so let's go change it." said Gordon as he scooped up his great niece and mouthed to Spencer and Olivia that they should go.

* * *

After their relaxing romantic dinner, Spencer and Olivia were walking along the strip hand in hand, and Olivia looked at her husband when they stopped to watch the fountains.

"Do you think that your dad and uncle Gordon are doing OK with the kids?" asked Olivia.

"I'm sure they're doing fine, and they would have called us if there were any problems. You have plenty of bottles made for Albert and Ava, and dad and uncle Gordon know what Piper likes and dislikes." said Spencer.

"I can't believe that Piper turned 18 months old two days ago." said Olivia.

"Me either, and I can't believe that Piper's going to be turning two in less than six months." said Spencer.

"I just can't believe that Albert and Ava will be seven months old in nine days." said Olivia.

"Me either." said Spencer as his phone vibrated and he saw a text from his father.

PIPER'S REFUSING TO GO TO SLEEP SINCE SHE WANTS YOU TO READ HER A BEDTIME STORY INSTEAD OF UNCLE GORDON AND I. ~ WR.

Spencer shook his head while smiling, causing Olivia to look at him.

"What's up?" asked Olivia.

"Apparently Piper is refusing to let dad and uncle Gordon read her a bedtime story since she wants me to read it." said Spencer.

"Well you do make story time fun for her. So let's get going since we have a busy day tomorrow." said Olivia.

* * *

Diana looked at her oldest grandchild who was sitting on her bed, playing with her favorite stuffed doll that her godfather got her.

"Piper." said Diana.

Piper looked at her grandmother, and Diana smiled at her oldest grandchild who was a perfect mixture of both her parents.

"That's a pretty doll you have there." said Diana.

"Ank you." said Piper before turning her attention to her doll again.

Diana looked at her son and daughter in law who were giving Albert and Ava their bottles.

"Piper definitely has good manners." said Diana.

Spencer looked up at his mother from the bottle that he was giving Ava.

"Her memory retention is advanced for an 18 month old since she's soaking up sign language like a sponge, knows her ABC's, and can count to 10." said Spencer.

"Is she showing signs of having an eidetic memory?" asked Diana.

"I think so." said Spencer as he adjusted Ava so he could start burping her.

"So are you two already thinking about Piper's education?" asked Diana.

"Part of me wants to have her home schooled, but it's important to get her to interact with other kids her age. So we're thinking about sending her, Albert, and Ava to one of the many private schools that DC has to offer." said Spencer.

"A private school would be good for my grandchildren, so have you two decided on one?" asked Diana.

"We heard good things about Georgetown Day School which offers pre-school through 12th grade while being a college preparatory school." said Spencer.

"I remember hearing about that school, and that would be a good school for my grandchildren to get into." said Diana.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Ead book." said Piper as she signed book to her daddy.

Spencer and Diana grinned, and Diana looked at her oldest granddaughter.

"How about I read to you, Piper." said Diana as she got out of her chair.

"OK." said Piper.

Diana scooped up her oldest grandchild and carried Piper to the bookshelf.

"How about you pick a book." said Diana.

Piper pointed at one of the books written by Proust, and Diana smiled at her granddaughter and a few minutes later Diana was reading to Spencer, Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava.

* * *

William looked at his son and daughter in law who were pulling on their shoes.

"Would you like me to take a picture of you guys before we all head out for Christmas Day Mass?" asked William.

"Yes please, since Penelope wants to see a picture of Piper and Ava wearing the matching Christmas dresses she got them." said Spencer as he tried to fix his red tie.

William fixed his son's tie, and a minute later he took a picture of his son, daughter in law, and grandchildren who were dressed up for Christmas Day. A few minutes later Spencer was sending the photo to his teammates.

JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR CHRISTMAS DAY MASS AT MY CHILDHOOD PARISH. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE HAS A MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND I WILL SEE YOU GUYS AT ROSSI'S NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY. ~ SR

* * *

On New Years Eva, Spencer and Olivia were sitting with Spencer's teammates, Savannah, and Will in Rossi's living room and JJ looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"So are you two going to be telling us more about your trip to Vegas?" asked JJ.

"Based on the pictures and videos you guys were sent, I think you guys know that we enjoyed spending time with my mom, aunt Ethel, and uncle Gordon while having two double date nights with my cousin and Joanna." said Spencer.

"I'm just glad that we decided to open our presents before leaving for Vegas since mom, dad, aunt Ethel, uncle Gordon, Andrew, and Joanna spoiled the kids this Christmas." said Olivia.

"Next time we have a case in Vegas, you have to show us your uncle's ranch." said JJ.

"I will if there's time while making sure that my uncle's home since he drives up to Reno once a week to see my cousin and his family." said Spencer as he pulled Olivia a bit closer to him.

Garcia looked at the TV and got excited.

"The ball is about to drop." said Garcia.

Everyone joined in on the countdown, and when it was midnight Spencer and Olivia kissed while the other couples in the room kissed, and as soon as Spencer and Olivia broke out of their kiss, they made eye contact.

"Happy New Year." said Spencer.

"Happy New Year." said Olivia.


	13. Olivia Turns 30 & The Black Queen Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5 and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 12._

 _I decided to break the chapter that deals with The Black Queen into two parts due to Olivia celebrating her 30th birthday in this chapter._

* * *

Olivia woke up to a nearly 19 month old toddler on top of her.

"Ake up mommy." said Piper as she kissed her mommy.

Olivia opened her eyes and smiled at her oldest child.

"Good morning, sweet pea." said Olivia.

At that moment Spencer stepped into the bedroom with Albert and Ava in his arms.

"Happy birthday, Olivia." said Spencer as he passed the twins to Olivia before pecking Olivia on the lips.

"Thank you, Spencer." said Olivia before looking at the clock, "Aren't you suppose to be heading to work right now?"

"Hotch gave me the day off today to spend time with my family." said Spencer before leaving the room.

Two minutes later he was upstairs with a tray of breakfast and some orange juice.

"Here's breakfast in bed for my queen." said Spencer as he got settled on his side of the bed.

"Have they eaten yet?" asked Olivia.

"They already did. So no cooking, cleaning, or taking care of the kids for you since dad and I are going to be doing everything while you get to do anything you want to do today, if it means going to the mall to get a new dress to wear and going to the spa for a massage and manicure." said Spencer as he handed Olivia the two gift cards he got for her.

"So you're paying me back from when I spoiled you when you turned 30 over two years ago?" asked Olivia as she looked at the two gift cards.

"Yep, and turning 30 is an important birthday to celebrate." said Spencer.

"Now please feed me my breakfast before it gets cold." said Olivia.

"As you wish, my queen." said Spencer as he started feeding Olivia.

* * *

As soon as Olivia got home from her trip to the mall, she looked at her husband.

"Where are the kids and your father?" asked Olivia.

"Dad and I put the kids down for a nap 10 minutes ago, and dad is in the library reading." said Spencer as he led Olivia to the couch so they could cuddle.

"So we get to have some alone time." said Olivia as she and Spencer got into their favorite position on the couch.

"Yes." said Spencer before he ended up deep in thought.

A minute later Olivia looked at her husband.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Olivia.

"Remember back when I told you about my life expectations conversation that I had with Emily nearly two years ago?" asked Spencer.

"I do." said Olivia.

"One of my life expectations was falling in love and getting married before turning 30." said Spencer.

"And you did complete that goal." said Olivia.

"I know, but what were some of your life expectations that you wanted to complete by the time you turned 30?" asked Spencer.

"One of them was getting married before turning 30." said Olivia.

"And you did complete that life expectation." grinned Spencer.

"My second one was having two or three kids before turning 30." said Olivia.

"And you completed that life expectation since you gave birth to Piper when you were 28 and the twins when you were 29." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Since you told me to buy a new dress to wear tonight and get my nails done during my trip to the mall, are you going to tell me what's going on this evening?" asked Olivia.

"We're going out to eat since I made reservations for one of our favorite restaurants in old town Alexandria." said Spencer.

"You're really spoiling me today." said Olivia as she kissed her husband.

At that moment Piper's voice was heard through the baby monitor.

"Daddy? Papa?" asked Piper.

"I got her." said Spencer as he got up.

A minute later Spencer entered Piper's nursery and saw Piper standing outside her crib.

"Piper Ann Reid, what have I told you about climbing out of your crib without any help?" asked Spencer.

"I eed to go potty." said Piper.

Spencer sighed as he scooped up his daughter and carried her to the bathroom. Less than a minute later Piper was sitting on her potty chair, and when she was finished Spencer gave Piper a sticker to put on her chart.

"Daddy's so proud of you, Goober." said Spencer.

* * *

Later that evening Olivia gasped when she saw Spencer's teammates sitting as the hostess led them to their table.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Olivia as Spencer pulled out her chair for her before she sat down.

"I invited them." said Spencer.

"And I paid for the reservations." said Rossi.

"How was your day?" asked JJ.

"I was treated like a queen since I didn't have to take care of any cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, or be on kid duty. I went to the mall to go shopping for myself and stop at the spa for a manicure since Spencer gave me a few gift cards for today." said Olivia.

"And that dress look amazing on you." said Garcia.

"So I've been told." said Olivia and smirked at her husband as she thought about Spencer's reaction to her walking out of the bathroom in the dress she was wearing.

A few minutes after orders were taken, Hotch looked at his teammates while Olivia headed to the bathroom.

"Usually we don't talk about work when getting together outside of work, but I thought that I should give you guys a heads up that in two days there's going to be a sexual harassment seminar in the bullpen." said Hotch.

Everyone groaned, and a few minutes later Olivia returned causing everyone decided to talk about Jack, Henry, Piper, Albert, and Ava.

"We actually started potty training Piper on Saturday morning." said Olivia.

"How is she doing with it?" asked JJ.

"We found a book about how to potty train a toddler within three days, and it actually worked." said Olivia.

"Is she wearing pull ups during the day?" asked JJ.

"She's now wearing pull ups during the day, and at night she's going to be wearing a diaper until she's ready for a big girl's bed." said Olivia.

"I just can't believe that the first BAU daughter will be 19 months old in a few days." sighed Garcia.

"She and Ava are growing way too fast for my liking." muttered Spencer.

"I agree with you, Spencer." said Hotch with Morgan and Rossi nodding in agreement.

At that moment a waitress started coming over with everyone's food, and everyone decided that they should start eating instead of talking.

* * *

Two days later Spencer, Olivia, William, and Piper were eating their breakfast when a piece of bacon that Piper was eating fell onto the floor, allowing Einstein to eat it.

"Shit." said Piper.

Spencer, Olivia, and William looked at Piper in shock before looking at each other.

"I rarely swear so it's not me since I'm barely home." said Spencer.

"Wasn't me." said Olivia and William in unison.

Spencer looked at Piper.

"Who taught you that word?" asked Spencer.

"I erd Unca Derek say it two eeks ago." said Piper.

Spencer looked at Piper.

"That word is a naughty word." said Spencer.

"I orry." said Piper as she ducked her head, causing her curly pigtails to fall forward.

"It's OK Piper, but can you promise mommy, grandpa, and I that you won't repeat that word?" asked Spencer.

"I pomise." said Piper before looking at her daddy, "I eed go potty."

"Then let's take you to the bathroom so I can help you before I go to work." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer walked into the bullpen with a frown on his face, and Morgan looked at Spencer as he steered him to the coffee maker.

"What's wrong, kid?" asked Morgan.

"Your going to need to watch what you say around Piper since she said an inappropriate word this morning when she dropped a piece of bacon." said Spencer.

"What word?" asked Morgan.

"The naughtier version of feces, and she said that she heard you say it two weeks ago." said Spencer.

"I take it that she inherited your eidetic memory?" asked Morgan.

"We think so, so I really need you to watch your language around her." said Spencer.

"I promise, kid." said Morgan.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer was leaning against a desk in the bullpen as they listened to the agent from Human Resources who was giving the mandatory sexual harassment lecture.

"So, let's talk about sexual harassment. Sexual harassment isn't always a quid pro quo arrangement. Maybe it's a conversation between two co-workers that makes you feel uncomfortable. Maybe these co-workers use phrases like... "Baby girl." "Chocolate thunder." Or..."Where's my big black twelve-pack?"" said the agent as she showed the words on the projectors.

Spencer, JJ, Alex, and Rossi to keep their faces as neutral as possible while Morgan and Garcia exchanged glances and Garcia whispered "Who blabbed?"

"And that creates a what? A hostile work environment. So messages like, "more cushion for the pushing".. Not appropriate." said the agent as chuckles erupted through the bullpen and Morgan and Garcia exchanged more glances before the agent continued, ""I'll be Coco to your Ice-T." Not appropriate. "Flarpy blunderguff. I don't even know what that means, but not appropriate." said the agent as a few agents exchanged glances.

At that moment Garcia got up.

"Ms. Garcia, you really have to stay for this." said the agent.

"I'm sorry, but I got- I-I have to-I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so-I'm so, so sorry." stuttered Garcia. before leaving the bullpen.

The agent pointed at Garcia.

"Not appropriate."

Spencer shook his head, knowing that Hotch most likely summoned Garcia since he saw her looking at her phone while making a mental note to ask Olivia what a flarpy blunderguff is when he got home.

* * *

"In 2004, the BAU flew to San Jose for two reasons. One was to recruit Garcia, the other was to arrest this man, Sam Russell." said Hotch.

"The prostitute killer." said JJ.

"8 victims. He didn't fit the profile exactly, but he waived his rights and admitted to all 8." said Spencer as he remembered back to when he was part of that case despite being part of the BAU for only a few months at the time they recruited Garcia.

"Isn't San Quentin putting him to death in two weeks?" asked Morgan.

"Yes. And we've been tasked to review his conviction." said Hotch.

"Why us?" asked Rossi.

"Garcia?" asked Hotch as he passed her the remote.

Garcia stood up as she talked.

"OK. Uh, this morning, the justice department website was hacked. When you log on, you see this and then this." said Garcia as she showed everyone the picture.

"Are these crime scene photos of the victims?" asked JJ.

"The San Jose police department was also hacked. Garcia says this must have been months in the planning." said Hotch.

"Any idea who's behind it?" asked Rossi.

"Best guess is it's an online collective known as Star Chamber. They're one of several justice oriented groups that sprung up in the wake of the Steubenville rape case." said Garcia.

Alex looked at Spencer as she talked.

"Star Chamber. Interesting name." said Alex.

"It's derived from a 17th century British court designed to ensure fair enforcement of laws against the rich and the powerful." said Spencer.

"Actually, according to my research, they named it that because it's also the name of a mediocre yet awesome Michael Douglas movie from 1983." said Garcia.

"OK, but why Sam Russell? He confessed without any coercion." said Morgan.

"Because in addition to being a monster, Sam Russell is a hacker extraordinaire. I don't know the man, but I learned from him." said Garcia.

"So the Star Chamber is rallying behind one of their own before the state of California can put him to death." said JJ.

"And we get thrown the political football to make the negative attention go away." said Rossi.

"We have to separate ourselves from the politics of it and ensure that they're executing the right man." said Hotch before looking at everyone and giving them a departure time.

"I get to join you guys on this case." said Garcia.

A few minutes later Spencer was on the phone with Olivia.

"How was the seminar?" asked Olivia.

"I will have to tell you about it later since I have a case in San Jose, California, and Garcia's coming with us." said Spencer.

"Well I would put the kids on the phone right now, but your dad and I put them down for a nap over an hour ago." said Olivia

"I have to get going Livy, but I will call you tonight." said Spencer.

"Please stay safe, and I love you." said Olivia.

"I promise to come home safe to you, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

"Well, looking at the history of Star Chamber, they love riddles. So this message, "They died in vein, " spelled V-E-I-N, that's not just a homonym mistake, it a clue." said Alex.

"Yeah. That's their game- "we know something you don't." They're fiercely libertarian and anti-secrecy, which goes hand-in-hand with conspiracy theorizing. As far as they're concerned, the whole Sam Russell thing is a cover-up." said Garcia.

"Why did we close in on Russell as a suspect?" asked Rossi.

"He was arrested repeatedly for solicitation. All streetwalkers, all drug addicts. His victims match that type." said Morgan.

"Well, you said he didn't fit the profile. It sounds like he fit it perfectly." said JJ.

"There was an issue with M. O. 4 of the prostitutes were stabbed and 4 were strangled, and the unsub alternated between kills." said Hotch.

"It sounds like two unsubs." said Alex.

"That was our profile until Russell confessed to everything, including names and details. As far as we could tell, it was just him." said Spencer.

"Yeah, but we can't that that for granted. Dave, Blake, and Reid, go over the old files. We need to re-interview everyone associated with the case. Morgan and Garcia, dig into Star Chamber. We don't want to validate them, but we need to know what they know. And JJ and I will go to San Quentin." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer, Rossi, and Alex were at Detective Cooper's house and Cooper was pouring himself a drink as Spencer was going through Cooper's study while he listened to the conversation.

"So, how long ago did you retire, Detective?" asked Rossi.

"Oh, about 4 years. You know, they say that you never turn off being a cop, but, uh, I sure did." said a laughing Detective Cooper.

"Detective Cooper, we need to ask you a few questions about the Sam Russell case." said Alex.

"Oh, my pleasure, yeah. It's good to answer questions that are gonna put this guy in the gas chamber instead of taking him out." said Cooper.

"Someone claims that you fed Russell drugs in order to get the confession." said Rossi.

"Who? Who said that?" asked Cooper.

"It doesn't matter who." said Alex.

"Oh, I bet it was those, uh, jackass computer nerds." said Cooper.

"Is it true?" asked Alex.

"No, of course not. I'd be willing to swear on a stack of bibles if you want me to. It's not true." said Cooper.

Spencer decided to speak up since he was looking at Cooper's books.

"You know, it's interesting how much you can tell about a person by what they choose to read. This shelf, for instance, is devoted to Ayn Rand, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris." said Spencer as he stood up to his full height and looked at Cooper.

Cooper looked at Spencer and thought back to when he met the young man a decade ago.

"So?" asked Cooper.

"You're an atheist." said Spencer.

Alex decided to back up Spencer.

"And your comment about the stack of bibles is a linguistic tell. You're overcompensating, which means you're hiding something." said Alex.

Cooper sighed.

"I- that photograph you were admiring there- you want to know who I'm shaking hands with?" asked Cooper.

"I don't care." said Rossi.

"Well, I'll tell you. It's my union rep, local 151. Now, here's what's gonna happen. When you people leave here, I'm gonna get on the phone with my good buddy there and he's going to issue a press release saying that detective Bob Cooper has devoted his entire career to justice. So why is the FBI keeping a serial killer who he caught from receiving the justice that the brotherhood of police fight and die for every day?" asked Cooper.

At that moment Spencer, Rossi, and Alex started explaining, and a short while later they were leaving the house.

* * *

Spencer was sitting at the conference table with his teammates when Garcia briefed them on what she found.

"OK. We need to have a little primer on hacking. Because I think I've figured out the member of the Star Chamber who's behind all this." said Garcia as she sat down.

"And who is he?" asked Morgan.

"I'm gonna take a guess based on the signature." said Garcia.

"Hackers have signatures?" asked Alex.

"Sometimes. Usually it's a message in the code to let other pros know, hey, this one was me. And in this case, the signature matches the DOJ hack, and it is, "Happy Fun Meow Meow."" said Garcia.

Hotch looked at Garcia.

"Sorry, what?" asked JJ.

"Happy Fun Meow Meow." said Garcia a bit slower.

"What the hell does that mean?" asked Rossi.

Hotch decided to answer before Spencer and Morgan could.

"It was Garcia's signature before she joined the BAU." said Hotch.

"None of this has been an accident. Getting us to review the case, leaving that clue, and there is only one man old enough and has the kind of crazy kung fu to do it." said Garcia as she showed everyone a photo, "His name is Shane Wyeth, and he is my old... Hacking mentor."

"Do you think you can get him to come to the table? We need the file to reexamine Russell's confession." said Spencer.

"If Russell's innocent, we'll need it for clues to find the identity of the real killer." said JJ.

"That's not gonna be easy. Shane and I ended on terrible terms." said Garcia.

"He was more than just a mentor, wasn't he?" asked Morgan

* * *

Later at the hotel, Spencer was Skyping with Olivia while Hotch took a shower.

"Livy, I need you to find a certain photo that was taken around nearly 10 years ago to this date that includes Hotch, Morgan, Gideon, Garcia, one other agent, and me." said Spencer as he described where he put the photo.

"OK Spencer." said Olivia as she got up and headed to the bookshelf containing the book that Spencer described and a minute later Olivia's eyes went wide when she saw her husband in the photo, "You definitely look like you're 14 years old in that photo."

Spencer snorted in amusement.

"Do you think that you can use the scanner on my desk to load it onto the computer and email it to me?" asked Spencer.

"Sure, Spencer." said Olivia as she started doing what her husband asked, and a few minutes later Spencer was opening the email on his tablet.

"Thanks Livy." said Spencer as soon as his wife was sitting down again.

"Why do you need this photo?" asked Olivia.

"I'm not supposed to explain why I'm in San Jose." said Spencer.

"I guess that with you and your teammates being in the Silicon Valley area of California, you guys needed Garcia's expertise?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah." said Spencer as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Can you tell me how the seminar went?" asked Olivia.

"There was some laughter since some of Morgan's and Garcia's banter was mentioned, but there's one phrase I am wondering if you know about." said Spencer.

"What is it?" asked Olivia as her eyes twinkled a bit.

"What is a flarpy blunderguff?" asked Spencer quietly so none of his teammates in the opposite room could hear him.

Olivia burst out laughing as she thought back to the movie night she once had with Garcia and JJ when Garcia was telling her about what a flarpy blunderguff is.

"I am so going to explain it to you when you get home after the kids are asleep." said Olivia.

Before Spencer could respond, Spencer and Olivia heard Piper's voice as she came into the room.

"Mommy?" asked Piper.

Olivia turned her head, and Piper's brown eyes went wide when she saw her daddy on the laptop screen, causing her to run over to her mommy and climb onto her lap.

"Hi Daddy." said an excited Piper.

"What are you doing out of bed, young lady?" asked Spencer as he gave Piper a slightly stern look.

"I cimb out my crib." said Piper.

"That's the third time this week you have done that, young lady." said Spencer.

"I eed go potty." said Piper.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Well I am going to need to take Little Miss Houdini to the bathroom before putting her back to bed, and we might need to get Piper a big girl bed when you get home." said Olivia.

Spencer nodded before looking at Piper.

"Good night Little Miss Houdini, and I will see you when I get home." said Spencer.

"Ood ight Daddy." said Piper.

"I love you two girls." said Spencer before signing off just as Hotch came out of the bathroom.

"Talked to Olivia?" asked Hotch.

"And Piper too." said Spencer as he shut down his laptop.

"Wasn't she supposed to be in bed?" asked Hotch as he thought back to three hours ago when Spencer talked to his kids on the phone.

"Yes, but she pulled a Houdini." said Spencer.

"What do you mean by pulling a Houdini?" asked Hotch.

"This past week your goddaughter has escaped from her crib three times, and Livy and I started calling her Little Miss Houdini since she's becoming an escape artist like him." said Spencer.

Hotch chuckled at his goddaughter's new nickname before giving the younger father advice.

"That means she's ready for a toddler bed." said Hotch.

"Olivia already mentioned it before I signed off Skype." said Spencer.

"If you want to get Piper a twin size bed instead of a toddler bed, I saved those bed rails that were on Jack's bed when he didn't need them anymore." said Hotch.

"That would be wonderful." said Spencer before remembering what Olivia sent him on his tablet and grabbed it, "You need to look at this photo."

Hotch looked at the photo and remembered instantly.

"That was during your first Memorial Day as an FBI agent." said Hotch.

"I asked Olivia to scan the photo onto my desktop computer before emailing it to me since I thought that it would be something fun to show after this case, and Olivia commented that I looked like I was 14 instead of 22 in that photo." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at the photo again before looking at Spencer.

"I actually agree with your wife since the others used to comment on how you look younger than 22 back then, but today you almost look like your actual age of 32." said Hotch.

"I know." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at the clock and quickly calculated to DC time, realizing that it's almost 1 AM in DC.

"We should get some sleep since we're meeting the others at 7 AM." said Hotch.

"Yeah we should, and luckily Olivia was already awake when I texted her asking her to Skype since she had to change Albert's diaper." said Spencer as he put his tablet and laptop away before slipping his glasses onto the nightstand.

A few minutes later both Spencer and Hotch were asleep in their hotel beds, knowing that they have a busy day coming up.

* * *

 _A/N: Part Two of The Black Queen is in progress._


	14. The Black Queen Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81 for being the 50th reviewer of this story, and also a shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 13._

* * *

Spencer and Hotch woke up to their wake up call, and as soon as Spencer had his glasses on he checked his phone to see a text message from Olivia.

LITTLE MISS HOUDINI DID IT AGAIN TWO HOURS AFTER I GOT OFF SKYPE WITH YOU, AND SHE ENDED UP SLEEPING WITH ME SO I COULD KEEP A BETTER EYE ON HER. ~ OR

Spencer shook his head as he sent Olivia a reply.

JUST HAVE HER SLEEP WITH YOU UNTIL I GET BACK, AND WHEN I GET BACK WE CAN GO SHOPPING FOR A TWIN SIZE BED. ~ SR

As Spencer got out of bed, Hotch looked at him.

"Everything OK?" asked Hotch.

"Little Miss Houdini escaped her crib two hours after I got off Skype last night." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates while they were eating their breakfast.

"Olivia and I are going to be shopping for a twin size bed this weekend since Piper has already escaped her crib a few times since Monday." said Spencer.

"How many times has she escaped?" asked JJ.

"Four times already, and she earned a new nickname." said Spencer.

"What's the new nickname?" asked Garcia.

"Little Miss Houdini." said Spencer.

At that moment everyone smiled or laughed.

"A very fitting nickname." said Rossi.

"I was the one to come up with the nickname." said Spencer.

"So when are you and Olivia going shopping?" asked Morgan.

"After this case." said Spencer.

"Why don't I tag along so we can put everything into the bed of my truck, and I will help you carry everything in and get the bed set up." said Morgan.

"That would be great." said Spencer.

At that moment Spencer's phone vibrated, and he saw a video from Olivia.

I PUT ON SOME MUSIC, AND PIPER DECIDED TO START DANCING WHILE ALBERT AND AVA ENDED UP CLAPPING AND LAUGHING WHILE THEY WATCHED THEIR BIG SISTER DANCE. SO HERE'S SOMETHING ADORABLE TO MOTIVATE YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATES TO FIND THE UNSUB FASTER AND COME HOME. ~ OR

Spencer started playing the video and smiled at the sight of Piper dancing while Albert and Ava clapped and laughed as they watched their big sister dance.

"What are you watching that's making me hear my godchildren laugh?" asked Garcia when she noticed the smile on Spencer's face.

"Olivia sent me a video of the kids to motivate us to find the unsub faster." said Spencer.

"Well, show us the video." said Garcia.

A minute later Spencer's teammates were gathered around him, and they watched the video and as soon as the video was over Garcia looked at Spencer.

"Very adorable." said Garcia.

"I remember watching Henry dance to music when he was Piper's age." said JJ.

"Jack was like that too." said Hotch right before his phone rang and a minute later he looked at his team.

"There are two other victims, so when we're done eating we need to get to work." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer crossed his arms as Hotch started talking.

"At this point we've got two working theories about this case. We need to give both of them equal weight." said Hotch.

"The first is that unpleasant as it may be to admit, Sam Russell was wrongly convicted and the real killer has struck again." said Rossi.

"If that's the case, this unsub is controlled enough to stay dormant for 10 years. But Russell's impending execution has brought him back to the surface." said JJ.

"Dennis Rader, the BTK killer, went dormant for 16 years but later sent letters to the media claiming credit for his crimes." said Spencer.

"And last night's murder could serve as a similar message to us." said Alex.

"The other theory is we have a copycat and he's trying to cast doubt on Russell's conviction." said Hotch.

"To copy the case this accurately, the unsub would have to have access to the original case file." said Rossi.

"And since the Star Chamber has that file, we think he's one of their members." said Alex.

"Certain types of hackers thrive on the cachet of infamy. This unsub wants to show his peers that he's so evil, he can commit the murders that Russell didn't." said Spencer.

"And whichever of these theories turns out to be correct, the key to finding this unsub is comparing last night's murder to 2004." said Hotch.

"How are you gonna do that when we don't have the file anymore?" asked Lieutenant Sommers.

"We have an expert working on it right now." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer sat on the edge of a desk as JJ talked.

"So, we dug into both victims' lives. They worked for separate agencies but went freelance about two months ago." said JJ.

"Not a surprise. We've seen how the Internet has revolutionized the sex industry. It's taken it off the streets and allowed the women to control their own clientele." said Spencer.

"That could be how the unsub crossed paths with them." said Hotch.

"We thought that, too, but when we looked at cell and computer records, the data fields were empty." said Alex.

"For both women?" asked Rossi.

"Well, if it was just one, we'd chalk it up to chance or luck, but two's a pattern." said JJ.

"And if the unsub's good with computers, he could have erased everything." said Hotch.

"We need to dig deeper into their online lives, match his expertise with our own." said Rossi.

"Well, unfortunately, our expertise is in the field right now." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer placed a photo of the latest victim on the clear board and Hotch spoke up as soon as Spencer turned to face him.

"Then the M. O. was mixed?" asked Hotch.

"Only one victim, but he strangled her and then stabbed her. It could be an evolution." said Spencer.

"Or he's trying to cast more doubt on Russell." said Hotch as he looked at a file.

"Her name is Debbie Bloom. She went freelance two months ago, and when she did, all traces of her business vanished." said Rossi.

"Exactly like the previous two victims." said Spencer.

"What if we're thinking about the M. O. wrong? What if the unsub didn't erase the data, but the call girls were simply hiding it from law enforcement?" asked Hotch.

"And the unsub figured out a way to use it to his advantage?" asked Spencer.

"Well, Blake found one potential lead. It was the last client that Debbie kept before she went off the grid. Goes by the name of Mr. Smith." said Rossi.

"Will Mr. Smith talk to us?" asked Hotch.

"Well, once Blake promised that we wouldn't ruin his marriage. She's bringing him in now." said Rossi.

Spencer and Hotch looked in the direction that Rossi was looking as Alex approached them.

"Who's that?" asked Rossi.

"Mr. Smith." said Alex.

"Ohh..." said Spencer and Rossi in unison.

* * *

Spencer went through the file before looking at Morgan and Garcia.

"You know, I hate to admit it, but the Star Chamber did an impressive job. They took the police file and annotated it with their own research." said Spencer as he looked at Albert and Ava's godparents.

"Is there any other evidence? 'Cause I'm not seeing anything." said Morgan.

"There's one thing we missed. Back in 2004, Russell had a silent hacking partner in charge of money and infrastructure who remained hidden in the shadows. They think the silent partner committed the murders and let Russell take the fall for it." said Spencer.

"Two unsubs would explain it. We profiled that 10 years ago. What if the silent partner was also the killing partner?" asked Morgan.

"Well, that would mean that Russell admitted to 4 murders he didn't commit. Why not just cut a deal and name the partner?" asked Spencer.

"Because he'd still get life in prison." said Garcia.

"It beats a death sentence." said Spencer.

"Not if you think you can beat the system, and hackers always think they can do that, especially if you had help from the outside." said Garcia.

"Then that's why the partner surfaced now. This whole time we've been trying to figure out which profile is right, the dormant killer or the copycat. But the answer is both." said Morgan.

"OK, but how do we prove it? If we can't, we're no better than the Star Chamber." said Spencer.

At that moment Morgan called Hotch.

"Yeah, Hotch. I think we may have something." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer entered the house with Morgan, and they saw John Nichols injecting something into Shane.

"FBI! Drop the needle. Let me see your hands." said Morgan before an officer grabbed John.

Spencer looked at Shane before looking at John Nichols.

"How much did you give him?" asked Spencer.

"Figure it out." said Nichols.

Spencer knew that he needed to provide emergency medical attention to Shane when he saw Norepinephrine.

"Stand down." ordered Morgan as he watched his adoptive little brother prepare the Norepinephrine.

"Standing down." said a SWAT agent when he realized what the young agent was going to do.

Morgan quickly checked for a pulse before he started CPR on Garcia's former lover, and as soon as Spencer had everything ready he looked at Morgan.

"Quick, pull up his shirt, Morgan." said Spencer as he rushed over to Shane.

As soon as Morgan pulled up Shane's shirt, Spencer quickly jabbed the needle into Shane's chest and plunged the Norepinephrine into Shane.

Shane woke up and gasped before falling back asleep.

"Oh, my God." said Garcia as she entered the room.

Spencer quickly went back to the Norepinephrine.

"Nothing. Paramedics are on their way. You got anything else over there?" asked Morgan as he continued chest compressions.

"Norepinephrine. It might kill him." said Spencer as he prepared more.

"Wait. Just wait. Shane, I know you're in there, and I know you can hear me. Hey. I won, Shane. And if you die on me, I'm gonna tell everybody we know I won. Do it. Do it now." ordered Garcia as Spencer came back.

Spencer plunged the needle into Shane's chest and injected the Norepinephrine, and this time Shane woke up.

* * *

Garcia looked at her teammates.

"Out of all of you guys I met Reid before any of you." said Garcia.

"Our time overlapped at Cal-tech, and Penelope thought that I was one of the professors kids since I was being escorted by one of my professors when it was after dark." said Spencer.

"He looked much younger than 14 when we met, but I was glad that Cal-tech was keeping him safe." said Garcia.

"It was my aunt's and uncle's idea that I was to be a protected student, and I didn't even argue with them due to the bullying I went through." said Spencer.

"And I was surprised when you explained to me that we met at Cal-tech during my first day working for the BAU." said Garcia.

A few minutes later everyone decided to do their normal flight home activities. Spencer headed to an empty area on the jet and pulled out his five year medallion as he thought back to painful memories, and Hotch came over to him a minute later.

"You alright?" asked Hotch.

"Just hate it that this case brought back some painful memories even though I had to inject Norepinephrine into Shane to save his life from an overdose." said Spencer.

"Thinking about attending a movie when we get home?" asked Hotch quietly.

"Olivia would insist that I go especially since the seven year anniversary of my abduction and torture is coming up in a few weeks." said Spencer.

* * *

Olivia leaned against her husband's chest as they soaked in the tub.

"It's good to be home Livy." said Spencer.

"The kids and I did miss you." said Olivia.

"Eventually we will need to lock our bedroom door when we have mommy and daddy time since I don't want us to explain the birds and the bees to the kids until they start puberty." said Spencer.

"I take care of the girls and you take care of Albert." said Olivia.

Spencer nodded before staying silent, and a minute later Olivia spoke up.

"What are you thinking?" asked Olivia.

"I think I need to go to a meeting tomorrow." said Spencer as he explained what happened.

As soon as Spencer was done explaining, Olivia turned her head and looked into his eyes.

"Then you should go to keep the cravings at bay, and the seventh anniversary of your abduction and torture is coming up so it doesn't hurt to start going now." said Olivia.

"Thank you for understanding." said Spencer.

"When you told me about your forced addiction and fighting to stay clean, I knew that I had to help you stay sober." said Olivia.

"You and the kids are two of the reasons why I am fighting to stay sober." said Spencer.

"Well we should finish with our bath before checking on the kids." said Olivia.

"Especially our Little Miss Houdini, and this Saturday, Morgan will take us to the store to buy Piper a twin size bed and help me put it together." said Spencer.

* * *

The following evening Spencer was pouring himself a cup of coffee at a Beltway Clean Cops meeting when the FBI Deputy Director approached him.

"It's been awhile since you showed up for a meeting." said John.

"Life's pretty busy when it comes to work and being a father to an energetic 19 month old toddler and seven and a half month old twins, but with the case I came home from yesterday Livy insisted that I come here." said Spencer.

"Married life and fatherhood can keep you from attending meetings since you want to spend every spare moment you have with your wife and kids." said John.

"I have some new pictures." said Spencer.

"Well, let me see them." said John.

Spencer gave his superior a smile as he pulled out his phone and showed John the video that Olivia sent him.

"Livy sent me this the other day." said Spencer as he played the video for John.

John smiled when he watched the video, and as soon as the video was over Spencer showed John a picture of the kids together.

"They have definitely gotten bigger since the last time you showed me a picture, and your son is practically a clone of you." said John.

"Albert's pretty much a mama's boy just like me." said Spencer.

"How was your visit back home for Christmas?" asked John.

"My mom enjoyed reading to Olivia, the kids, and I while being lucid the entire time. Piper loved my uncle's ranch, and my uncle got her a helmet so she could ride a horse with me." said Spencer as he showed John a picture of a grinning Piper and himself sitting on a horse.

"She's so adorable, and those kids of your are a huge reason why you're making sure to stay clean." said John.

"I know." said Spencer.

* * *

The next day Piper's brown eyes went wide she saw that her crib was gone.

"Crib all gone." said Piper as she started crying.

Spencer scooped Piper up and settled her onto her twin size bed where he wiped her tears with a handkerchief that he always carried.

"No need to cry crocodile tears due to your crib being gone. With you escaping it, you're ready for a big girl bed to sleep in." said Spencer.

"I a big girl?" asked Piper.

"Yes you are, and tonight is your first night sleeping in a big girl's bed." said Spencer.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Sleep with me?" asked Piper.

Spencer looked at his oldest child's eyes and realized that she was working them on him.

"Just for tonight, but tomorrow night you have to try and sleep in your own bed alone." said Spencer.

"OK Daddy." said Piper.

* * *

Later that night, Olivia decided to check on two of her favorite people, and smiled at the sight of her husband laying in Piper's bed with an arm around her and a book laying open on his chest. Before entering Piper's bedroom, she took a picture before removing the book from her husband's chest, then removed his glasses and set them on top of the book.


	15. The Road Home & 200

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 14._

 _I decided to combine the chapter that deals with The Road Home and 200 since 200 takes place a few hours after the end of The Road Home._

* * *

As Spencer was eating breakfast with his family, Olivia looked at him.

"There's a Korean film festival in Georgetown this week, and if your not out on a case I think that we should go." said Olivia.

"Going to a Korean film sounds perfect for a date night." said Spencer.

At that moment Albert swiped his bowl of cheerios onto the floor and grinned at his mommy, daddy, and grandfather.

"Al's silly." giggled Piper.

"You loved knocking your cheerios onto the floor when you were Albert's and Ava's age." said Spencer as Ava swiped her bowl of cheerios onto the floor causing all three adults to shake their heads, "I have enough time to help clean up, and then I have to go to work." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was sitting at his desk working on paperwork when Hotch and Garcia came down the stairs alerting Spencer, JJ, and Alex.

"What's going on?" asked Alex as she, JJ, and Spencer stood up and got ready.

"We've got a possible spree killer in Cleveland." said Hotch.

"Details are sketchy, but 90 minutes ago a man shot and killed two gang members at a park on the outskirts of the city." said Garcia.

"Why are we thinking spree? I mean, gang members shoot each other all the time." said Spencer as he looked at the photo he was given.

"Because a third gang member fled the scene, the shooter hunted him down at a gas station over a mile away to finish the job." said Garcia.

"Not your typical M. O. for a gang shooting." said Hotch.

"Oh, and there's more. After the third gang member was killed, a fourth person was shot and killed at a bus stop less than a half a mile away from the gas station." said Garcia.

"Also gang related?" asked JJ.

"I don't know. Details still coming in." said Garcia.

"4 homicides, 3 locations, all within 90 minutes." said Spencer as he realized how serious the case is.

"We need to hurry. Wheels up in 15." said Hotch before walking away.

"I'll let Morgan know." said Garcia.

Spencer pulled on his jacket as he called Olivia.

"A case?" asked Olivia as she heard rustling in the background.

"Cleveland, Ohio. Getting on the jet in 15 minutes." said Spencer.

"Just stay safe, and please call me when you can." said Olivia.

"I hope I will be back in time for our date night." said Spencer.

"There's always another Korean film festival that we can attend, so I won't be mad if we can't go." said Olivia.

"Well I have to get going." said Spencer.

"Love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

JJ was standing in the kitchen area on the jet texting on her phone while Spencer talked.

"You know, the description of our unsub is pretty vague. 40s, 50s, rumpled clothing like they could have been slept in." said Spencer.

"And two witnesses in the park said he appeared to have been drinking. They could smell alcohol on him." said Alex.

"The first 3 victims all had police records- car theft, aggravated assault, and drug dealing." said Hotch.

"If they involve drugs, the unsub might be a disgruntled customer." said Spencer as JJ approached them.

"Sorry. Babysitting issues at home." said JJ as Spencer stared at her.

"Garcia, did we get confirmation that the fourth victim at the bus stop was not gang affiliated?" asked Hotch.

"That is correct, sir. Paul Haller, high school senior. Not an angel, though. Haller has a few minor robbery arrests from the past, and police found a wallet on his body, cash and credit cards belonging to a Sita Patel." said Garcia.

"Purse-snatching?" asked JJ.

"Gang members, mugger. We might be looking at a vigilante." said Spencer as Morgan approached them.

"All right, I just got off the phone with Cleveland P. D. If we are dealing with a spree killer, at least he's on a slower boil now. No new incidents reported in the past hour." said Morgan.

"The victim at the gas station wasn't just shot. The body showed signs of having been run over multiple times by a large vehicle." said JJ.

"That is one way to put the "over" in overkill." said Alex.

"Morgan, you and JJ go to the park where the first shooting took place. Blake, go to the gas station crime scene, and as soon as we can find Sita Patel, Reid and I will talk to her, see if she interacted with the unsub." said Hotch.

Spencer looked at JJ.

"If you're having babysitting issues, Olivia and my dad are still holding out that offer to take Henry in while Will's at work." said Spencer.

"Are you sure that your dad and Olivia can handle a five year old, a 19 month old, and nearly eight month old twins?" asked JJ.

"They would consider it practice since Olivia and I are talking about having another child in a few years after Albert and Ava are done wearing diapers." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer stayed standing as Hotch sat across Sita.

"I was walking to work. The boy grabbed my handbag, and then when I tried to hold on, he yanked hard, and I fell." said Sita.

"Did anyone else see the attack?" asked Hotch.

"Many people. But they did nothing." said Sita.

"Nobody stayed to help?" asked Spencer.

"Only one, a man." said Sita.

"Did he say anything to you?" asked Hotch.

"He asked me which direction the boy went. I told him and he left." said Sita.

"Did the man leave on foot or in a vehicle?" asked Spencer.

"I didn't see. He was very calm. Calm and determined." said Sita.

* * *

Spencer and Hotch entered the bullpen of the police department with Alex trailing behind them when Morgan confronted them.

"Anything from Sita Patel?" asked Morgan.

"The man who asked which way the purse-snatcher went matches the description of the unsub." said Hotch.

Spencer looked at Alex.

"How did it go at the gas station?" asked Spencer.

"Maybe it's just me, but if I saw a person gunned down and run over by a car a half a dozen times, I'd remember it." said Alex.

"Let me guess, witnesses are drawing a blank." said Morgan.

""It all happened so fast." No surveillance cameras at the gas station either." said Alex.

"It's a high-crime area and the victims were criminals. The neighborhood could be looking at this as a problem solved." said Spencer as Sergeant Gulsby approached them.

"There's been another shooting." said Sergeant Gulsby.

Spencer looked at Hotch.

* * *

"My ex grabbed my throat, and the next thing I know, this guy was in the yard and he shot Terry and he took off." said Madison as Spencer approached her and Alex.

"Can you describe the other guy?" asked Alex.

"No. Everything happened so fast." said Madison.

"Coins were found scattered all around the area, like somebody emptied out their pockets?" asked Spencer.

"I didn't notice." said Madison.

"So when we analyze the coins, we won't find trace evidence of you or your ex on them no fingerprints." said Alex.

"OK. Yeah, I think Terry may have thrown some coins at the guy." said Madison.

"Well, when we get back to the station, you can help the police artist render a likeness?" asked Alex.

"No." said Madison.

"Excuse me?" asked Alex.

"You have no idea what it's been like. The past two years I wake up every morning scared to death. Terry was crazy violent and nobody would do a single thing about it." said Madison.

"He was issued a restraining order." said Alex.

"Oh, yeah. You saw how restrained he was. You want to see what he did once?" asked Madison as she showed the two agents burn scars, "I was cooking dinner, he got mad and threw scalding oil at me." said Madison.

"Did you press charges?" asked Spencer softly as he thought about the injuries he had when his mom was having an episode that caused her to be violent with him.

"Terry told everyone it was an accident. That I dropped a frying pan." said Madison.

"But the police would have investigated, Madison." said Alex.

"Terry's Mr. Charity fund-raiser, all-around good guy at the country club. It was my word against his. Please, give me a break. But it's over now, thanks to that guy." said Madison as she, Spencer, and Alex watched Terry's body be carted away, "I hope you don't find him. Whoever it was, I hope he gets away."

* * *

Spencer and Hotch walked towards JJ who was on the phone.

"OK, yeah. Well, you tell him mommy misses him. Talk to you soon." said JJ before hanging up.

As soon as JJ got off the phone Hotch answered his phone.

"What have you got, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"As your gigantic brain suspected, sir, a two-tone SUV with Florida plates was parked across the street from the apartment building." said Garcia.

"Were you able to pull a plate?" asked Hotch.

"That SUV is registered to a Clifford Walsh." said Garcia.

"Do you have an address?" asked JJ when she noticed Spencer staring at her.

"Nothing local. Walsh moved out of the area a long time ago. Oh. And if you hate sad stories as much as I do, you should leave the room right now, 'cause this one's super sad. 10 years ago Walsh lost his wife and his 14-year-old son in a home invasion robbery." said Garcia.

"Here in Cleveland?" asked Spencer as he thought about his wife and kids who were safe at home.

"Yeah. Uh, it looks like the motive was stealing stuff. Jewelry was taken out of the home, and there was an attempted sexual assault on Mrs. Walsh." said Garcia.

"Where was Walsh at the time of the home invasion?" asked Hotch.

"He was working as a night supervisor of a tool and die plant in Strongville, which is just outside the city." said Garcia.

"Did they get the killer?" asked JJ.

"Yeah, very next day. Howard Clark, 18 years old. High as a kite on meth at the time of the attack. He was only sentenced to 10 years in prison." said Garcia.

"The meth angle is interesting. Did Clark have any connection with the victims in the apartment?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah. He was buddies with Dane Hendrix, one of the victims." said Garcia.

"10 years. That's awfully lenient for a double homicide." said JJ.

"You think? Maybe that's why Walsh went into a total tailspin. He started drinking, quit his job, moved to Florida. He's been like borderline homeless for many, many years." said Garcia.

"When did he come back to Cleveland?" asked Spencer.

"Last week. He cashed out his meager savings account and headed north. Here is what's interesting about the timing of this, though. Howard Clark, the guy who killed Walsh's wife and son, he was scheduled to be released 3 months from now, but he was killed in a random prison fight in the exercise yard the day before Walsh left Florida." said Garcia.

"That must have been the trigger. Clark's death stirred up all those memories." said Hotch.

"And the memories brought him back to Cleveland. But for what purpose?" asked JJ.

* * *

"The man we're looking for is Clifford Walsh. The photograph you have of him was taken last year." started Hotch.

"Walsh's family died in a home invasion robbery 10 years ago. The killer was a man named Howard Clark. But Clark's recent death in prison may have triggered Walsh's spree." said Morgan.

"The first 5 murders appear to be opportunistic kills, but all the victims have criminal records or a history of domestic violence." said JJ.

"The shooting at the meth apartment, however, was premeditated and calculated." said Alex.

"One of the victims was Dane Hendrix, a friend of Howard Clark's at the time of the home invasion." said JJ.

"Targeting Hendrix means Walsh might now be trending towards more mission-oriented behavior." said Spencer.

"Walsh has no concerns about keeping his identity or movements secret." said Alex.

"In some ways his recklessness works in our favor. He's out in the open. Here I am. Come and get me." said Morgan.

"But this is a man who's lost his family and feels he has nothing to lose. He doesn't care about repercussions, which makes him the most dangerous kind of spree killer. Time is of the essence. Thank you." said Hotch.

At that moment Sergeant Gulsby approached them.

"Agent Hotchner. We found Walsh's vehicle." said Sergeant Gulsby.

* * *

Spencer sat in the driver's seat of Walsh's vehicle. He opened the visor and found some papers.

"Forgive me, sweetheart. I tried to make it right." read Spencer.

"Suicide note?" asked Morgan.

"Walsh might have been about to kill himself and saw the thugs hassling the old man." said Spencer.

"But he killed them instead. Well that makes sense. The line between suicidal and homicidal ideation is pretty thin." said Morgan as Spencer pulled a little black book out of a compartment.

"Look at this." said Spencer as he looked at the numbers.

"Is he counting something down?" asked Morgan as he looked at the resident math genius.

"The number sequence starts at 3, 553 and ends... At 87." said Spencer as he quickly did the math, "Let's see, Clark was killed on January 14th... 87 days before his scheduled release date of April 11th. Working backwards and taking into account the 2009, 2012 leap years, 3, 553 days..." said Spencer as he continued talking under his breath, "April 9, 2004, the exact day Clark began his prison term." said Spencer before getting out of Walsh's truck.

"So Walsh was waiting for Clark to be released to take revenge on him." said Morgan.

"And suddenly the object of his vengeance was gone." said Spencer as he crossed his arms.

"But Walsh's need for justice wasn't. His revenge has simply found another outlet. We need to see if any cars have been reported stolen in the area in the last couple hours." said Morgan.

"If Walsh is swapping out vehicles, it would be the first indication he's cared enough to take evasive action." said Spencer.

"Something else must be on the menu. Something important enough that he can't risk being caught." said Morgan.

As they headed back to the SUV, Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Does Olivia talk under her breath when solving a math problem?" asked Morgan.

"She does, and we never get bored talking about math." grinned Spencer.

* * *

"We need to figure out who's next on Walsh's list of targets." said Hotch.

"You know, Walsh lost his wife and his child. He could be looking to balance the books." said Spencer.

"Clark did get a light sentence. Walsh might have a grudge against the judge or surviving jury members." said Morgan.

"We need to get those names, as well as the defense attorney and anyone who testified on Clark's behalf." said Hotch.

"The newspaper reports at the time suggested Clark might have had an accomplice. It was just a rumor, but it was a persistent one." said Spencer.

"Maybe it was Dane Hendrix, the meth dealer?" asked Morgan.

"No, he had a solid alibi for the night of the home invasion." said Hotch.

"Clark always said he acted alone, but still..." said Spencer.

"We need to locate and get all of these people into protective custody." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer walked over to his teammates as he read the M. E. report.

"This is strange. The M. E. reports from the home invasion. Teddy Walsh's wrists were tightly bound, but there were no subdermal hematomas around the deep ligature marks." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at his youngest agent and pointed at the photos that he and Alex were looking at.

"What do you see here?" asked Hotch.

Spencer looked at the photos and thought about how Olivia loves taking photos of him with the kids.

"Someone clinging to memories. It's basically a shrine to his wife." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at Alex.

"More importantly, what don't you see here?" asked Hotch.

Alex looked down at the photos.

"His son." said Alex.

"Exactly." said Hotch.

"There's not a single photograph or shred of memorabilia about him." said Spencer as Hotch dialed Garcia's number.

"And the suicide note was addressed only to his wife." said Alex.

"Garcia, you said Teddy Walsh had gotten into some trouble at school, yes?" asked Hotch.

"Yeah. Nothing serious. He stole a video game from another kid's locker." said Garcia.

"And that's why Walsh took his son on the Expanded Horizons hike?" asked Spencer.

"Uh-huh, that's right." said Garcia.

"And Expanded Horizons takes people out in groups, yes?" asked Hotch.

"Yes, sir." said Garcia.

"OK, can you find out the names of the other participants on that specific trek?" asked Hotch.

"Let me see..." said Garcia as she typed, "Oh. Lordy, lord. Howard Clark and father. Walsh and Clark were on that hike together." said Garcia.

Hotch turned around, removed a photo from the clear board and stuck it in a different spot.

"I think we just found Clark's accomplice." said Hotch as he moved the photo.

"Walsh's own son." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer looked at Sergeant Gulsby.

"We haven't found the connection with the jogger yet, but every victim of Walsh's has been associated with criminal behavior." said Spencer.

"Only the guilty deserve to die." said Alex.

"Except today started with Walsh ready to die himself. He wrote a suicide note." said Spencer.

"Because he was guilty, too. His own son was complicit in the death of his wife." said Hotch as he called Garcia, "Garcia."

"Talk to me." said Garcia.

"Are Howard Clark's parents still in the Cleveland area?" asked Hotch.

"Uh, father died 5 years ago, heart attack. Mother -yep, Helen Clark. Sending her address now." said Garcia.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"You said earlier that Walsh might want to balance the books. There'd only be one person to provide that kind of payback." said Hotch.

"Another parent." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was heading to Mrs. Clark's house with Hotch and Alex.

"Howard Clark's mother won't answer." said Alex.

"The two boys probably hatched the plan when they met on the hiking trip." said Hotch.

"Teddy knew where his mother kept the jewels and when his father would be gone." said Alex.

"Except Clark shows up high on meth, tries to rape the mother, Teddy fights back and Clark kills the both of them." said Hotch.

"And that explains the lack of subdermal hematomas on Teddy's wrists. He was killed first, then tied up." said Alex.

"Jeffrey Hines, the jogger who got shot, Garcia found a connection. It's not who he was, it's where he was." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer went into Mrs. Clark's house with Hotch and Alex where Clifford pointed his gun at Mrs. Clark.

"Clifford Walsh, FBI. Put the weapon on the table." said Hotch.

"No." said Clifford.

"Slowly lower it." ordered Spencer.

"Helen hasn't harmed anyone. She's innocent." said Alex.

"Wrong. I don't hurt the innocent." said Clifford.

"Wrong. You already have." said Hotch.

"Who? The thugs in the park? The meth dealers? The guy that was choking his wife?" asked Clifford.

"You're forgetting about the jogger." said Alex.

"Hines? Let me tell you about him. When Hines worked at the D. A.'s office, Clark's father used his influence to have evidence suppressed. Evidence... That would have sent my wife's killer to jail for life." said Clifford.

"The former employee at the D. A.'s office was Morgan Hines. 6 months ago he sold that house to his brother Jeffrey." said Hotch.

"That was the man you killed." said Alex.

"No. That was the place. I checked." said Clifford.

"Jeffrey Hines was innocent, Clifford, and you murdered him." said Spencer.

"He left behind a wife and 3 kids." said Alex.

"When I saw the sun come up this morning, I knew it was gonna be my last time. Mrs. Clark... I hope you're right." said Clifford before he killed himself.

* * *

Spencer was walking to the elevators with JJ as he slung his messenger bag around his shoulder.

"You have any plans tonight?" asked Spencer.

"Uh, does sleep count as a plan?" asked JJ.

"Livy and I are going to a Korean film festival in Georgetown. You can join Livy and me if you want. A lot of the entries probably aren't subtitled yet, but Livy and I can do a simultaneous whisper translation while we watch." said Spencer.

"Sounds fun. I'm really tired." said JJ as she and Spencer got into the elevator.

"Have a nice night." said Spencer in Korean.

When the elevator door closed, JJ looked at Spencer.

"What did you say?" asked JJ.

"I said have a nice night in Korean." said Spencer.

"I just don't want to be a third wheel on your date night with Olivia." said JJ as she thought about where she's really going.

* * *

As soon as the first movie started, Spencer wrapped an arm around Olivia who laid her head on his shoulder.

* * *

A few hours after coming home, Spencer woke up to his phone ringing and saw that it was Morgan.

"A case?" asked Spencer.

Morgan started explaining what's going on, and two minutes later Spencer was out of bed.

"Spencer?" asked Olivia.

"Got called into work since JJ's in trouble, and Morgan's coming to pick me up." said Spencer.

"What happened?" asked Olivia.

"Remember when we saw JJ and Cruz on a jog together when we were going on a jog ourselves?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah." said Olivia.

"Apparently they knew each other for a few years when JJ was back at the State Department and couldn't tell us since it was classified. Now they're in trouble and Morgan and I are tasked to go to JJ's last known location." said Spencer as he headed into the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth.

As soon as Spencer was out of the bathroom, Olivia got off the phone with her father in law.

"Stay safe, and William will be up here in a few minutes to commandeer a guest bedroom." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer was getting into Morgan's truck, and Morgan looked at Spencer who was buckling himself up.

"We're going to find her, and then we can talk to her about keeping secrets." said Morgan.

"I know." said Spencer before his stomach growled, "After we go to JJ's last known location do you think we can pick up some coffee and something to eat?"

"Hotch recommended that we pick something up on our way to Quantico." said Morgan as he pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

Over an hour later Spencer and Morgan were heading to the conference room.

"The Director's behind closed doors with the undersecretary of arms control and international security affairs. Hotch is on his way to the State department to get some answers." said Morgan as he and Spencer approached Rossi and Alex.

"We found JJ's cell phone, but there wasn't any sign of her." said Spencer.

"Cruz is missing, too. His car is still in his garage, but mail and newspapers suggest that he's been gone at least 24 hours." said Rossi as he, Spencer, Alex, and Morgan entered the conference room.

"I'm trying. I'm trying – I'm trying to pull data off of JJ's phone, but it's like level 9 security. It would make Snowden weep." said Garcia.

"What about cell phone records?" asked Alex.

"Encrypted. JJ's and Cruz's." said Garcia.

"That's not surprising if they work for the State department." said Rossi.

"But if that assignment was a backstop, then JJ's transfer as D. O. D. liaison was her cover." said Morgan.

"So what was she really doing that year?" asked Spencer as he thought back to how his migraines were starting after JJ left.

"That's the first question Hotch is gonna ask. Strauss was pressured by the Executive branch to push JJ's transfer through in 2010, so she would have known the reason why." said Morgan.

"Any assignment Strauss authorized would be archived in the SCIF." said Spencer.

"That facility is code word classified." said Garcia.

"OK, but Anderson can get you in. He archives those reports. Blake, Rossi, JJ couldn't have used the SCIF without drawing attention. She probably has it foxholed right here in the BAU. We just need to find it." said Morgan.

"And what are you not telling us?" asked Alex.

Everyone looked at Morgan.

"Whoever took Cruz and JJ is highly trained and highly organized. Justice, Defense, and State- they wouldn't be on edge like this if this was a simple matter of two missing agents." said Morgan.

"Is Hotch worried that the recovery won't be made a priority?" asked Rossi.

"It's our job to find the leverage that ensures it is. Let's get it done." said Morgan.

"Yeah. Yeah." whispered Garcia.

A few minutes later Spencer and Garcia were heading to the SCIF room, and Spencer looked at Garcia.

"Was it like this when I was held captive by Hankel?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah it was." said Garcia.

"Knowing JJ she's going to fight to stay alive like I did since she wouldn't want to leave Will, Henry, and us like I really didn't want to leave my family." said Spencer.

"But you were dead for a few minutes." said Garcia.

"I know, but I was glad that Hankel gave me CPR, and as soon as I woke up I noticed a few headstones in the shed. When the Raphael personality decided to do Russian Roulette I was able to think of a Bible verse that would tell you guys where I thought I was being held." said Spencer.

"And that was brilliant even though you saved yourself seconds before the others approached you." said Garcia.

At that moment they approached the room, and Spencer used the card that Anderson gave him to use to get in.

"Most of the files are kept on hard copy to prevent digital espionage." whispered Spencer as he unlocked a filing cabinet while Garcia headed to the computer.

"OK. Good thing one of us reads 20,000 words per minute. Time to get my spy face on." said Garcia as she logged into the computer.

Spencer started going through files, and a few minutes later he got a text message.

"Integrity." said Spencer as his eyes moved back and forth and he thought back to what was going on around the world when JJ was transferred, "Garcia. Cross-reference keyword "Integrity" against Middle East operations dating back to 2010. Focus specifically on military action taken against Osama bin Laden and/or Al-Qaeda."

Garcia started typing.

"Now we're talking. Whoa." said Garcia.

"What did you find?" asked Spencer as he approached Garcia.

"A ghost file in a ghost folder on a ghost server that nobody wants me to know about. Watch me resurrect some gigabytes." said Garcia.

A minute later Garcia saw some pictures.

"Reid." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at the picture.

"Why was JJ in the Middle East?" asked Spencer.

"And what were Cruz and Strauss doing there?" asked Garcia as she looked at Spencer.

A few minutes later two men came into the room, grabbed Spencer and Garcia and removed them from the room.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was sitting with his teammates talking to Emily who was on her way.

"According to Interpol data, Askari is as bad as they get. Highly educated member of the Republican Guard caught torturing POWs off the clock for fun. I'm sending you his profile now." said Emily.

Everyone looked at what Emily sent them.

"So this is who has JJ?" asked Garcia.

"His name speaks volumes. Tivon means "student of nature, " yet Askari means soldier." said Alex.

"Askari's methods appear well documented. He's organized, he's meticulous. He typically spends 24 hours with his subjects before they break." said Hotch.

"They've had Cruz at least that long." said Spencer.

"It looks like this guy uses most of the standard torture techniques." said Morgan.

"He even keeps his ritual to an established timeline, a so-called perfect methodology evolved through years of practice." said Rossi.

"No sexual torture. Maybe he has lines he doesn't cross." said Alex.

"Typically, professional torturers are driven by a false sense of moral superiority. They don't derive sexual pleasure from the cruelty they inflict." said Spencer.

"But Askari isn't just a torturer. He's a sadistic serial killer." said Hotch.

"And they love getting off." said Rossi.

"Guys, I may have two more victims we can attribute to Askari. Savin Mubari and his wife Nadia. He was a known confidant to bin Laden's. Both were at the camp where JJ worked." said Emily.

"Then JJ would have been assigned to interrogate Nadia. Do we know what happened to her?" asked Hotch.

"M. O. matches all of Askari's victims except for one thing. She was raped." said Emily.

"So what was different about her?" asked Alex.

"Maybe she lasted the longest. If his ritual dictates a specific timeline, any new aspect would fall later in his routine." said Spencer.

"So the longer JJ holds out, the greater the likelihood that'll happen to her." said Morgan.

"So how much time does JJ have?" asked Garcia.

"A few hours." said Hotch.

* * *

"When the war broke out, it looks like Askari's talents were recruited by the regime to break potential informants as well as captured U. S. troops." said Emily.

"So Askari works for the highest bidder." said Hotch.

"How does a guy who tortured U. S. soldiers get drafted to our side?" asked Morgan.

"Wait, I might know that. I uploaded that ghost file to my private cloud server. The order was given by chief Cruz." said Garcia.

"Why would Cruz enlist a man like Askari?" asked Alex.

"He needed a high-ranking partner to put him in position." said Spencer.

"So what are we saying, Cruz and Askari were working together?" asked Rossi.

"Then JJ's in more danger than we thought." said Spencer as he thought about the mother of his godson who is also the godmother of his oldest child.

* * *

Spencer rushed into the conference room and looked at his teammates.

"Cruz never officially put his name in for section chief." said Spencer.

"Well, somebody did." said Hotch.

"Or he pulled strings, called in favors to get closer to JJ." said Rossi.

"Emily, you saw JJ during this time. Did she ever mention Cruz or details of the investigation?" asked Hotch.

Emily quickly thought about the conversation she had with JJ on the way to Paris before speaking up.

"JJ suspected a double agent. She could have been talking about Cruz." said Emily.

"If Cruz is working with Askari, why take JJ? His clearance level is higher than hers." said Spencer.

"At Interpol, our most sensitive information requires two ranking agents to gain access." said Emily.

"Maybe the Integrity systems require the same." said Spencer.

"But when agents are compromised, their security privileges are revoked. JJ's codes shouldn't work." said Alex.

"If he knew what he was doing, he could reroute the system updates that would render their security codes useless." said Garcia.

"Where would he have to go to do that?" asked Morgan.

"Straight to the source. He'd have to hard-line into the servers, but they're scattered all over the country." said Garcia.

"It would be difficult to transport JJ and keep to Askari's timeline. He must have taken her someplace local." said Rossi.

"We need to figure out which server they've hacked." said Hotch.

* * *

"What have you got, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"I found the relevant servers." said Garcia.

"How many were there?" asked Spencer as he leaned over Garcia.

"D. C. area, 6." said Garcia.

"We need to narrow it down." said Alex.

"We can ping the servers to see who's hard-lined in. But the second we start knocking, FBI data security is gonna know. It's not gonna be a big leap to figure out why we're doing this." said Garcia.

"We won't be here when they do." said Morgan.

"OK. I'm going in." said Garcia as she did some typing, "It's not working. None of the servers are showing any active hard-lines."

"Then we're back to square one." said Rossi.

"No, no. We don't have time for that. It's already been 24 hours." said Garcia.

"JJ's beaming out of one of the sites. We'll work our way down the list." said Hotch.

"OK, sir, I'm sending coordinates now." said Garcia.

A few minutes later Spencer was donning his Kevlar vest before grabbing his FBI issued winter jacket.

* * *

"JJ must have logged in with a panic sequence that triggered a silent alarm. It's pretty standard protocol. Enter your security codes backwards and a preset alarm is activated, in this case, Blackbird. Oh, God, JJ sent that alert 30 minutes ago. They must have looped the system. That's why I couldn't read any hard-lines." said Garcia.

"Which of the servers send the message?" asked Hotch.

"Um..." said Garcia as two men came into the room.

"Hands where we can see them." said one of the men.

"What whoa, whoa. Whoa." said Kevin as he and Garcia stood up.

"Utherlay oadchurchbray. Utherlay oadchurchbray." said Garcia before leaving the room with Kevin.

"You don't need to be a linguist to recognize pig Latin." said Alex.

Spencer who understood what Garcia said spoke up.

"Luther and Broadchurch is the location of Cramer Industries. It's a research and development company." said Spencer.

"R and D – that's gotta be a front for clandestine operations." said Morgan.

At that moment Rossi turned in the direction he had to go.

Spencer entered Cramer Industries with his teammates and they approached an employee.

"Where's the server mainframe?" asked Hotch.

"Subterranean level." said the guard.

"Which way is that?" asked Hotch.

"Through the warehouse." said the guard.

"Show us." said Hotch.

A few minutes later Spencer was quietly going through the building with Morgan and they saw Hastings.

"Hastings!" shouted Morgan.

"I don't see Askari." said Spencer.

At that moment Spencer and Morgan were being shot at and they dove for cover as they returned fire, and after a few minutes of shooting back Rossi noticed someone running.

"He's heading to the roof." said Rossi.

"So is JJ." said Alex.

A few minutes later the men who were shooting at them were down.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was giving JJ a hug, and after the prolonged hug JJ headed to the ambulance to talk to Cruz. As soon as the ambulance pulled away Emily looked at Spencer.

"Mind if I go home with you to freshen up and see Olivia and the kids?" asked Emily.

"Olivia would have been angry if you didn't stop by to see the kids since you missed seeing her, the kids, and me during Christmas." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer quietly entered the house with Emily, and Olivia gasped when she saw her.

"Spencer never told me that you flew out here to help find JJ." said Olivia as she got up and hugged Emily.

"Happy belated birthday, Olivia." said Emily as she looked at the 30 year old woman who became a sister in law to her.

"Thank you for the tea that you sent me." said Olivia before she turned to hug and kiss her husband. "How's JJ?"

"JJ's safe now and receiving medical attention." said Spencer as he hugged Olivia a bit longer.

"Where are the kids?" asked Emily.

"They're taking naps." said Olivia.

At that moment noise came through all three baby monitors.

"Or not." said Olivia.

Spencer looked at Emily.

"Want to help me assist Little Miss Houdini?" asked Spencer.

"Sure." said Emily.

A minute later Emily entered Piper's room with Spencer, and Piper's eyes went wide as she climbed out of bed and ran to Emily.

"Emmy!" exclaimed Piper.

Emily scooped up Piper and hugged her.

"You have definitely grown since the last time I saw you." said Emily.

"I big girl now." said Piper as she showed Emily her new bed.

"I heard." said Emily passing Piper over to her daddy.

At that moment William and Olivia entered Piper's room with the twins and Emily took the twins into her arms before looking at Spencer.

"Seeing the twins in person is much better than seeing the pictures that you two send me." said Emily before looking at Olivia, "And thank you for sending me that picture of Spencer sleeping in this bed with Piper last week."

"Except Morgan won't stop teasing me about that picture." muttered Spencer.

"How about I get Derek to stop teasing you about that picture while reminding him that he would feel the same way as you and Aaron if he ever has kids of his own." said Emily.

"That would be great." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"How about you go take that shower while I go heat up some leftovers." said Olivia.

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer as he passed Piper to Olivia and left the bedroom.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer had an arm wrapped around Olivia who was standing between him and Hotch at the bar, and as Olivia and Spencer took sips of their Arnold Palmers, Hotch looked at Emily.

"Emily, how much longer do we have you?" asked Hotch.

"Um...6 hours." said Emily.

"It's too soon." said Garcia.

"It's more than we had yesterday." said Rossi.

"I had to see Piper, Albert, and Ava today since I didn't get to see them over Christmas." said Emily.

"I promised my mom that she would get to see her grandchildren over Christmas since we couldn't make it out there during the Christmas of 2012 when I was grounded from traveling." said Spencer.

At that moment Olivia slapped her husband's chest while laughing.

"You needed that tonsillectomy." said Olivia.

"I know." said Spencer.

Garcia looked at everyone.

"Let's promise each other that there will be no more secrets from each other." said Garcia.

Everyone nodded their agreement before Spencer and Olivia started telling everyone updates on the kids, and Emily looked at Hotch who was laughing after Spencer finished telling everyone a story about Piper.

"I'm glad that Piper is able to get you to smile and laugh like her father does." said Emily.

Before Hotch could answer, Spencer let out a yawn and Olivia looked at everyone.

"I better get my husband home so he can get some sleep." said Olivia as she hugged Emily goodbye.

"Keep sending me pictures and videos of the kids everyday so I can still watch my adoptive nieces and nephew grow up." said Emily.

"I promise." said Olivia as she released Emily.

Emily looked at Spencer as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"The next time you take a few weeks off of work, I want you and Olivia to come visit me in London." said Emily.

"We promise since France and London are on the list of places that we want to travel to." said Spencer.

* * *

 _A/N: Emily and Alex met during Spencer's birthday dinner in chapter 10 of Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Two._


	16. Mr and Mrs Anderson and Valentines Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to southernbeauty13, tannerose5, Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 15._

 _Sorry for the lack of Piper, Albert, and Ava in this chapter, but I thought that it would be important that I focus on Spencer's yearly symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and Valentine's Day. I promise that the next chapter will have more of Piper, Albert, and Ava._

 _This chapter isn't beta read yet, but I promise that it will be._

* * *

William Reid came upstairs and heard mumbling coming from the living room causing him to go investigate. A few seconds later he saw his son thrashing on the couch. He grabbed a throw pillow and gently threw it at his son.

"Wake up, Spencer. It's only a nightmare." said William.

Spencer's eyes snapped open and he saw that he was still on the couch, making him remember that he fell asleep while watching a movie with Olivia who must have headed up to bed without waking him up.

"You're safe Spencer. It was only a nightmare." said William as he passed his son his glasses.

"I guess Livy decided to let me sleep down here instead of waking me up." said Spencer as he got into a sitting position.

"Want to talk about your nightmare?" asked William.

Spencer's stomach growled, and William looked at his son.

"Let's go raid the cookie jar and we can talk about your nightmare while we snack on some cookies." said William.

Spencer got off the couch and followed his father to the kitchen. A few minutes later the father and son were eating homemade chocolate chip cookies while drinking almond milk.

"What was your nightmare about?" asked William.

"It's the seventh anniversary of my abduction and torture, so I had a nightmare that dealt with my captivity." said Spencer.

William looked at his son's eyes, noticed how haunted they look, and decided that he needed to get his son to smile and laugh again.

"So what are yours and Olivia's plans for Valentines Day?" asked William.

"Olivia wants to go ice skating since we haven't gone since since Christmas, and then we're going to Patty's Diner for dinner." said Spencer.

"Good plans, and when you two get back I will catch that flight to Vegas to take your mother out on a belated Valentines date." said William.

Spencer looked at the clock and saw that it was midnight.

"I'm going to head up to bed." said Spencer.

"Good night Spencer." said William.

"Good night dad." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer crept into the master bedroom as quietly as he could only to see Olivia exiting the master bathroom.

"Sorry that I didn't wake you up once the movie was over." said Olivia.

"It's OK. Dad woke me up from a nightmare before we headed into the kitchen to raid the cookie jar while drinking almond milk while we talked about my nightmare." said Spencer.

"Tobias Hankel?" asked Olivia.

Spencer nodded.

"Since we're both awake, I think we can handle staying up for a bit longer." said Olivia as she made her way over to her husband and kissed him deeply on the lips.

* * *

The following morning during breakfast, William looked at his daughter in law who was wearing a turtleneck, realizing what could have happened to cause Olivia to put on a turtle neck before looking at his son who looked a bit tired just like Olivia.

"I thought that you were going to get some sleep instead of doing something that already gave me three grandchildren?" asked William.

A blushing Spencer choked on his coffee as a blushing Olivia giggled.

"I did tell you that dad would probably figure out why I put on a turtleneck." said Olivia.

Spencer looked at the clock and realized that he had to get going to work.

"Well I have to get going so I don't miss the train." said Spencer as he got up and placed his plate in the sink before giving Olivia and the kids each a kiss and grabbing his messenger bag and packed go bag and heading out the door.

* * *

A week later Spencer entered the round table room to see JJ entering the room from the other doorway.

"Welcome back." said Rossi.

"You sure two weeks is enough time?" asked Spencer as he thought about how he shouldn't have came back to work as soon as he did after Hankel seven years and a week ago while telling Hotch about Hankel drugging him instead of waiting until after New Orleans to confess.

"Oh, I'm fine. And, yes, Will made sure I got clearance from two doctors." said JJ as she and Spencer sat down next to each other.

"Glad you're OK. We should get started." said Hotch.

"Yes, sir." said Garcia before she started briefing, "Pittsburgh field office has reported two murders in the past 48 hours."

"Both of them were strangled, then stripped down to their underwear and then dumped off of a highway." said Hotch.

"Have we I. D.'d the victims?" asked JJ.

"No, not yet." said Garcia.

"The guy has a lot of rage. He's using some kind of ligature, maybe a strap?" asked Rossi.

"It looks like he's choking them intermittently, allowing them to breathe only when he permits it." said Morgan.

"But the M. E. report says neither was sexually assaulted." said Hotch.

"That's odd, given the fact that 80% of crimes against women involve some sort of sexual component." said Spencer.

"Well, it's the choking that gets him off. Some form of erotic asphyxiation filtered through a psychopath's need for power and control." said Morgan.

"OK, what is this? Are they wrapped in shower curtains?" asked JJ as she looked at the crime scene pictures.

"Strangely, yes. Which is why I'm checking with a number of manufacturers to see where these were distributed from." said Garcia.

"The M. O. says sexual sadist, but the curtain reads as remorse." said Alex.

"Sexual sadists don't feel remorse." said Spencer.

"Maybe it's his shame?" asked Alex.

"Or maybe he's impotent. He doesn't rape because he can't." said JJ.

"And the embarrassment of not being able to perform manifests in him wrapping up his victims." said Morgan.

"He doesn't want to look at them after he kills them." said Rossi.

"Which points to either symbolic or a literal emasculation. We need to find out. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his phone and called Olivia.

"You have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." said Spencer.

"Well you know the drill about staying safe." said Olivia.

"I know, and I love you." said Spencer.

"Love you too." said Olivia before hanging up.

* * *

"This guy's definitely mobile. We might be looking at a long-distance trucker." said Rossi as he sat down closer to everyone.

"Garcia already checked into it. She didn't find any major routes in or around the dump sites." said JJ.

"Speaking of dump sites, our most recent victim was found 50 miles from where she was last seen." said Morgan.

"It looks like security cameras picked her up at a gas station but never saw who she left with." said Spencer.

"Maybe that's where he found her. It's the perfect hunting ground." said Alex.

"It fits the witness' statements. According to the cashier, the victim had been there for several hours asking customers for a ride." said JJ.

"Well, she lived locally. She could have made it home in time. Instead, she waited. She must have been headed some distance." said Morgan.

"She could be from anywhere. Maybe that's why the unsub chose her." said Alex.

"He doesn't just pick victims of opportunity. He targets women who won't be missed." said Spencer.

At that moment Garcia's face popped up on the monitor.

"Good news, crime-fighters. I tracked the shower curtains this creep has been using to burrito his victims. Turns out they're commercial grade, sold in bulk to a bunch of economy motels, a list of which I just sent you." said Garcia.

"It makes sense. It's a secure secondary location." said Alex.

"Either he doesn't want to draw attention to his home or someone is living with him." said Rossi.

"Rossi, you and Morgan go to the M. E. JJ and Reid, go through Garcia's list of motels. Blake and I will go to the field office and cover victimology with agent West." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer looked at JJ as they were heading to another motel.

"How are you doing?" asked Spencer.

"I'm doing fine." said JJ.

"I know that you're not completely fine since I've been there before." said Spencer.

"I really don't want to talk right now." said JJ.

"You're going to be dealing with post traumatic stress disorder for the rest of your life, and the next few weeks will be hard when it comes to certain words, phrases, and actions triggering flashbacks while having to deal with nightmares. It was like that for me after Hankel when I dealt with flashbacks during my first case back, but during that case in New Orleans I talked to my friend Ethan who really helped me and I slowly got better." said Spencer.

"I remember." said JJ.

"Anniversaries of your abduction are going to trigger painful memories, and last week was the seventh the seventh anniversary of my abduction and torture and Hotch made sure to talk to me about the nightmares I had while my father, Olivia, and my kids helped distract me from thinking about painful memories." said Spencer.

JJ pulled over, and Spencer looked at her.

"If you ever need to talk, I'm always willing to listen to you since I understand what's it's like to be abducted and tortured." said Spencer.

JJ leaned over a bit and kissed Spencer on the cheek before looking at him.

"Olivia did marry a sweet and compassionate man." said JJ before getting out of the SUV with Spencer following her.

A minute later Spencer and JJ approached a guy who was working on a crossword puzzle, and JJ rang the bell to alert the man.

"$25 an hour, two-hour minimum." said Johnny Matthews.

Spencer and JJ exchanged glances and thought that their significant others who were waiting for them back home wouldn't be amused before JJ flipped open her badge and rang the bell again.

Johnny Matthews noticed two federal agents standing in front of him.

"Hi. Yeah, we'd just like to ask you a couple questions. We've been canvassing several motels in the area. It's possible a murder's been committed in one of the rooms." said JJ.

Johnny realized that both agents were serious.

"I haven't seen or heard anything." said Johnny.

"Do you mind if we take a peek at your guest log or surveillance footage?" asked Spencer.

"We don't have cameras. We're a cash only, no questions asked type of establishment." said Johnny.

"Would you mind taking a look at these? Do you recognize anyone?" asked JJ as she passed Johnny the photos of the victim.

Johnny took a look.

"Never seen them before." said Johnny.

"This might sound strange, but are any of your rooms missing a shower curtain?" asked Spencer.

Johnny looked at the two agents.

"Let me take you two to that room." said Johnny.

A few minutes later Johnny opened up the door for them and he, Spencer, and JJ entered the room.

"I noticed it wasn't there this morning. The room was totally trashed. Did a real number on the toilet. Got someone coming out to take a look later on today." said Johnny as Spencer looked at the bathroom.

"Did you try plunging it?" asked JJ.

"Do I look like a plumber?" asked Johnny.

"You mind if we take a look?" asked Spencer.

"Knock yourself out." said Johnny before leaving the room.

Spencer donned some gloves before grabbing the toilet plunger and started unclogging the toilet.

"Come on, you gotta put your back into it, Spence." said JJ as she watched Spencer work on plunging the toilet.

"Where's Morgan when you need him?" asked Spencer in a joking matter as he grunted loudly.

A few seconds later Spencer noticed something.

"Look at this." said Spencer as he reached into the toilet bowl and pulled out a condom.

"Ugh." groaned JJ.

"It doesn't make sense. The unsub doesn't have sex with his victims." said Spencer.

"Then why did he need the condom?" asked JJ.

"Well, it takes impotence off the table. He clearly had intercourse with someone after he committed the murder." said Spencer.

"So, he doesn't rape her. He has sex with someone else in the room. A lover?" asked JJ.

"Who's also his partner in crime. We're looking for a team." said Spencer.

A short while later Spencer and JJ were leaving the motel, and Spencer looked at JJ.

"Piper's turning 20 months old next week, and she has been flushing anything she can find down the toilet since she started potty training last month." said Spencer.

JJ shook her head.

"What has she dropped into the toilet?" asked JJ.

"She has dropped my car keys into the toilet a few times while saying 'Daddy stay home.'" said Spencer.

JJ shook her head at her goddaughter's antics.

* * *

Agent West entered the conference room with files that he passed to Spencer, JJ, and Rossi.

"Take a look at this. You guys were right. I was able to match their M.O. to 10 other strangulation murders. We were only able to identify 4." said Agent West.

"They've been at it since 1994." said Rossi.

"Looks like they stopped in 2010 and remained dormant up until now." said Spencer.

"Something had to prevent them from killing. Maybe one was incarcerated." said JJ.

"I'll start pulling prison records, see if I can't get a match." said Agent West before leaving the room.

"These two have been in a relationship a lot longer than we thought." said Rossi.

"But even if they broke up, to come back together and resume killing after a 4-year hiatus is rare." said Spencer.

"Love is strange. It'll make you do the craziest things." said Rossi.

"Guys, what if they're married?" asked JJ.

* * *

Spencer got out of the front passenger seat of the SUV before approaching the crime scene with JJ and Morgan, and he looked down at Agent West who was with the latest victim.

"Huh. This is a first for them." said JJ.

"Aside from gender, the M. O. is the same." said Agent West.

"Something in their dynamic must have changed." said Morgan as he met up with Agent West.

"A male victim most likely caters to the female unsub's desires." said JJ.

"They haven't displayed that behavior before. Up until now, it appears it's been the male picking the victims." said Spencer.

"Which typically indicates a dominant/submissive relationship." said Morgan.

"It looks as though her psychopathology could be evolving." said Spencer.

"OK, we need to look at this from a marriage perspective. Compromise is the key to any long-term relationship's success. What if this murder was their way of sharing responsibility?" asked JJ.

"He let the woman choose the victim. That could be problematic." said Spencer.

"Now that she's been given control, she might not want to let it go." said Morgan before a coroner zipped up the body bag.

* * *

"We believe we're looking for a married couple, to whom we can attribute at least 13 deaths since 1994." started Hotch.

"He's a sexual sadist, and she's a scopophiliac, which is Greek for "love of looking, " meaning that she gets off on watching her husband kill." said Alex.

"Like Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, who raped, tortured and killed at least 19 people, this couple's homicidal tendencies most likely surfaced once they met." said Spencer.

"It's possible that the use of a shower curtain is a sign of remorse on the part of the female unsub." said Rossi.

"Up until now, all the victims were females, so it's possible that the change in victimology could be the husband's way of subjugating his own needs for his wife's happiness." said Morgan.

"But a sexual sadist doesn't typically subjugate. We think he could have committed crimes on the side that have gotten him arrested." said JJ.

"But wouldn't we have the bodies to prove that?" asked Agent West.

"Yes. Which is why we need to take another look at all strangulations within the geographical profile that occurred during the gap years." said Rossi.

"Without his female partner's influence, the male's independent M. O. should present differently." said Morgan.

"Learning the nature of how that differs from their team dynamic will be the key to driving a wedge between their partnership." said Spencer.

"In the meantime, all transients are at risk. Now that the wife has gotten a taste of control, she'll crave that feeling again." said Alex.

"And if the husband sublimated his needs with the last kill, his desire to fulfill his own will be what's driving him now. Thank you very much." finished Hotch.

* * *

Spencer approached Hotch and Agent West who were watching Alex question Judith.

"The first body was found in 1989. But Judith and Alan weren't married until '94. Which means Alan was doing this on his own 5 years before they met." said Spencer.

"And once they were married, there was no conflict until he cheated on her." said Hotch.

"That's probably when Judith decided she no longer wanted to participate in the murders." said Agent West.

"She took away what he enjoyed doing most." said Spencer.

"So she's probably not aware that he continued to kill without her." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer approached Rossi who was watching Judith.

"I've gotta hand it to her. Judith's not budging." said Rossi.

"She's committed to protecting her husband." said Spencer.

"And their marriage." said Rossi as Alex entered the room.

"We're rebuilding step by step"? Interesting choice of words." said Alex.

"Oh, I've heard those many times before." said Rossi before looking at his two teammates who sported wedding bands before adding, "Marriage counseling."

"That would explain how they were able to move through Alan's infidelity. They were seeing a therapist." said Alex.

"Maybe they still are." said Spencer as he called Garcia.

"Green means go." answered Garcia.

"Garcia, can you check and see if Judith and Alan have a therapist?" asked Spencer as he thought back to his private psychologist Dr. Andrews.

Garcia started typing.

"Checking now... Uh, OK. Looks like they sought help from a bunch of different people, but for the past couple of months, anyway, they've been seeing a Kathleen Benedict several times a week. Says here she specializes in something called insight therapy." said Garcia.

"Insight therapy is also known as psychodynamic therapy. It helps patients rediscover what motivates them in an effort to resolve old conflicts." said Spencer.

"But if the conflict stems from their marriage, then helping Judith and Alan rediscover what motivates them would reignite their compulsion to kill." said Rossi.

"Therapy was most likely Judith's idea. Alan doesn't seem like the type to take guidance from a woman." said Alex as she, Spencer, and Rossi saw Judith twist her wedding band around her finger.

"Maybe the emasculation we profiled didn't come from Judith. Maybe it came from the therapist." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer got off the phone with Hotch and he looked at Morgan who was driving them to Dr. Benedict's office.

"That was Hotch. No sign of Alan at the house." said Spencer.

"He's probably aware that we have Judith in custody." said Morgan.

"If that's the case, he knows it's only a matter of time before we get to him." said Spencer.

"At this point, the guy's got nothing to lose, which makes him more dangerous than ever." said Morgan.

Spencer decided to contact Dr. Benedict's personal line to alert her that she's in danger.

"This is Kathleen." said Kathleen.

"Kathleen, my name is Spencer Reid. I'm a federal agent. Right now you need to stay calm and not react." said Spencer as calmly as he could.

"OK." said Kathleen, realizing that she needed to trust Spencer.

"Is Alan Anderson there with you? Answer yes or no." said Spencer.

"Yes, that's correct." said Kathleen.

"You need to understand that Alan is a dangerous man and he's wanted for several murders." said Spencer.

"OK. I understand. How can I help?" asked Kathleen as she watched Alan.

"Do you think you can get away from there without alerting him?" asked Spencer as he looked at Morgan.

"Not at this time. I'm completely booked." said Kathleen before before the call ended.

"Hello?" asked Spencer before hanging up.

"Do you think he knows?" asked Morgan.

"I think you should step on the gas." said Spencer.

Morgan started to drive faster, and a few minutes later Spencer and Morgan were running up some stairs before they found Alan with Kathleen and Morgan dragged Alan away as Spencer assisted Kathleen.

"It's OK. Hey, you're OK." soothed Spencer.

* * *

Spencer and Olivia were sharing a milkshake when they heard Morgan's voice.

"Well if it isn't Dr. Reid and Mrs. Reid." said Morgan.

Spencer and Olivia stopped sipping their milkshake and looked at Morgan, Savannah, Garcia, and Sam.

"You two shared a milkshake?" asked Sam.

"We're both lactose intolerant, and we agreed that we would share a milkshake to help control ourselves while making sure that we take our antacids." said Olivia.

"So what did you two do prior to coming here?" asked Garcia as she noticed that her two friend were dressed casually in jeans and sweaters.

"We went ice skating before coming here for dinner and dessert." said Olivia.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"You know how to ice skate?" asked Morgan.

"Learned to skate as a kid, and it was basically physics and math for me." said Spencer.

A waitress came forward with Spencer's and Olivia's bill causing Spencer to pull out his wallet and pass the waitress his credit card.

"Can't you two stay a bit longer?" asked Garcia.

"Dad's flying out to Vegas in two hours since Livy and I convinced him to go out there this weekend and take mom out on a belated Valentines date." said Spencer.

"That's so sweet." said Savannah.

Two minutes later the waitress came back with Spencer's credit card, and after Spencer helped Olivia put on her jacket he looked at his two teammates as he pulled on his jacket.

"Have a nice weekend guys, and I will see you two on Monday." said Spencer as he took hold of Olivia's hand before leading her out of Patty's Diner.

* * *

Four hours later Spencer closed the door of his and Olivia's bedroom, and Olivia stepped out of the bathroom wearing lingerie that he never seen on her before, causing him to walk towards his wife.

"I told you that I had plans for you as soon as the kids were asleep." said Olivia as she met her husband and started undressing him.

"Piper's asleep?" asked Olivia.

Spencer nodded as his eyes darkened.

"I told you that I had plans for you, but right now you're wearing way too many clothes." said Olivia.


	17. Gabby

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 16._

 _I did some research about toddlers going swimming and how Spencer and Olivia would sign Piper, Albert, and Ava up for swimming lessons. Right now Piper, Albert, and Ava are all eligible for Parent/Child Swimming lessons since the YMCA would have those classes for babies and toddlers who are between 6 and 36 months old with a parent present._

 _And let's just say that Piper is soaking her lessons on kicking and paddling in the water up like a sponge since she inherited her daddy's eidetic memory._

* * *

Nearly 20 month old Piper looked at her daddy after she cleaned her plate.

"Go simming." said Piper.

"You want to go swimming at the YMCA?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"How about I stay here with the twins while you have a father and daughter outing with Piper." said Olivia.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Unca Aaron and Ack go wit." said Piper.

Spencer shook his head as he grabbed his cellphone off the kitchen island and called Hotch.

"Need a babysitter?" asked Hotch.

"No, but Piper and I are inviting you and Jack to join us at the YMCA since Piper wants to go swimming." said Spencer.

"What time were you planning on taking Piper?" asked Hotch.

"After lunch since Piper needs to take a mid morning N-A-P." said Spencer as he spelled nap.

"Jack and I will meet you there at 1 PM." said Hotch.

"See you then." said Spencer and exchanged goodbyes with Hotch before hanging up.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"No nap." said Piper.

Spencer and Olivia exchanged glances.

"How about I take a nap with you in a few hours?" asked Spencer.

"OK." said Piper.

* * *

Spencer entered the YMCA with Piper on his hip and the desk clerk smiled at Spencer and Piper as she scanned Spencer's membership card.

"No wife and twins today Dr. Reid?" asked Christina.

"I wanted to spend quality time with Piper, and she wanted to go swimming since she enjoys the parent child swim classes here." said Spencer.

At that moment Hotch and Jack entered the YMCA, and Hotch smiled at Spencer and Piper as Jack hugged Spencer.

"Hi unca Aaron." grinned Piper

Hotch smiled at his goddaughter.

"You excited about going swimming with your daddy, Jack, and me?" asked Hotch.

"Yes." said Piper.

A few minutes later Spencer, Hotch, Jack, and Piper were in the family locker room where Spencer got Piper ready while Jack and Hotch got ready, and as soon as the Hotchner men were ready Hotch watched Piper so Spencer could change into his swim trunks. A few minutes later the Hotchners and Reids were in the pool, and Hotch looked at Piper who was in her daddy's arms happily splashing in the pool while Jack swam around in the shallow end.

"Are you going to show off?" asked Hotch as he thought back to Spencer telling him about Piper enjoying the parent child swim classes that he went to with her.

"Yes." said Piper.

Spencer got Piper to lay on her back, and the nearly 20 month old floated.

"Come to uncle Aaron." said Hotch.

Piper rolled herself over and started kicking and paddling to her godfather, and a minute later she was in her godfather's arms.

"Good job Piper." praised Hotch.

"I a fish." said Piper.

"Yes you are." said Hotch.

At that moment Jack looked at his daddy and uncle Spencer.

"Can I go to the deep end?" asked Jack.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"I can stay here with Piper if you want to go with Jack." said Hotch.

"OK." said Spencer.

Spencer and Jack started swimming to the deep end and Piper looked up at her godfather.

"I love you unca Aaron." said Piper.

"I love you too, Piper." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer entered the house with a sleeping Piper in his arms and smiled at the sight of Olivia playing on the floor with Albert and Ava.

"Hey." said Spencer as he laid Piper down onto the couch where she curled up into a fetal position.

"You two have fun?" asked Olivia softly.

"Piper had so much fun that she feel asleep during the ride home." said Spencer.

"Which pool did you guys do?" asked Olivia.

"We did the five feet deep pool that had the water slide." said Spencer.

"Daddy." said Albert.

At that moment Spencer looked at Albert who was standing up and holding onto furniture, and Spencer looked at his eight and a half month old son.

"Come to daddy, big guy." said Spencer.

Albert took his first steps towards his daddy causing Olivia to burst into tears at the sight of her son walking without any help as Albert tumbled into his daddy's arms.

"Daddy's so proud of you." said Spencer as he hugged his son before passing Albert to Olivia.

"Mommy's proud of you too." said Olivia.

Spencer looked at Ava who was sitting up without help.

"Come to daddy." said Spencer.

Ava got onto her hands and knees and started crawling over to her daddy who settled her onto his lap.

"She will walk when she's ready to walk." said Olivia.

"And most twins don't take their first steps at the same time." said Spencer.

Spencer and Olivia continued to play with Albert and Ava, and as soon as Piper woke up she ended up playing with everyone.

* * *

Later that night Olivia looked at her husband while they got ready for bed.

"Can you believe that Piper's going to be 20 months old on Monday while Albert and Ava will be nine months old at the end of the month?" asked Olivia.

"I still want to build that moat and draw bridge." muttered Spencer.

Olivia grabbed a pillow and threw it at her husband.

"Did you just assault a federal agent?" asked Spencer with a playful smirk on his face.

"I sure did Agent Reid, and I think you should arrest me." giggled Olivia.

At that moment Spencer locked his lips with Olivia's.

* * *

A few days later Spencer woke up to his phone ringing and saw a missing child alert causing him to get out of bed and quickly get dressed, causing Olivia to wake up.

"Spencer?" asked a groggy Olivia.

"I have to head to the jet since there's a missing child in Mississippi, so how about you call dad before going back to sleep." said Spencer before heading into the bathroom where he quickly brushed his teeth and headed to Piper's room to quickly check on his now 20 month old daughter before checking on Albert and Ava.

* * *

"It is now 3 hours and counting since 4-year-old Gabby Hoffer was abducted from her cousin Sue Walsh's car." said Garcia.

"Why would anyone leave a little girl alone in a car at night?" asked JJ.

"Sue told local authorities that she was a couple blocks from her house, she didn't want to wake Gabby up, she was in and out of that mini mart in under 4 minutes." said Garcia.

"That's a pretty tight window of opportunity. Whoever took her must have been stalking them." said Morgan.

"Is there a history of child abductions in this area?" asked Alex.

"No, but the local registry shows a high concentration of sex offenders. We have no time to waste." said Hotch.

"We do have an eyewitness, but his recollection is limited to a dark van that he saw pull up next to Sue's car." said Garcia.

"That's pretty vague. So we don't have a color or know who was driving." said Rossi.

"Are their surveillance cameras on the premises?" asked Alex.

"Yes, there was one camera, it's in the store, and it's ancient, but the footage is being sent to the lab right now for enhancement." said Garcia.

Spencer closed his eyes as he thought about Piper, Albert, and Ava who were asleep in their cribs or bed.

"SSA Canning is on scene with the southeast regional CARD team. They're conducting neighborhood and roadblock canvasses. We all know what to do. If this is a stranger abduction, we've got fewer than 24 hours to bring Gabby back alive." said Hotch.

* * *

"Garcia, where are Gabby's parents?" asked Alex.

"Away, but not together. They're divorced. Mom, Kate, is coming back from a Caribbean cruise with her new boyfriend. And Doug, Gabby's bio dad, is a long-haul trucker who is on the road. And this is where bad turns to worse. Dad has a history of drug problems." said Garcia.

"Since Gabby's under 5 years old and her father's whereabouts are unknown, statistics say he's more likely the offender than the stranger abduction." said Spencer.

"He could have been the one who stalked them and grabbed Gabby." said Rossi.

"Morgan, you and JJ head over to Sue Walsh's house. See if any of the neighbors have seen Gabby's father lurking around." said Hotch.

"All right. Got it." said Morgan.

A few minutes later Spencer got out of the SUV with Hotch, Rossi, and Alex where they approached Agent Canning.

"5 hours and 23 minutes since Gabby was taken. Witness pulled up to pump number 2 here, saw the van parked there. Blocked his view of Sue's car. Said the brake lights were on." said Agent Canning.

"The driver could have kept his foot on the brake while someone else used the sliding door to grab her." said Hotch.

"It'd be smart to use a partner out in the open like this." said Alex.

"We have 9 registered sex offenders within 3 miles." said Agent Canning as she laid out a map on the hood of the car before continuing, "Sometimes they work in tandem. We have teams going door to door now."

"That's good, cover your bases. But it's the ones we don't know about who are the most dangerous." said Rossi.

"What's the word on the parents?" asked Spencer.

Agent Canning looked at Spencer and noticed the gold wedding band on his left ring finger. She made a mental note to ask Spencer if he has kids later.

"Mom and boyfriend Rodney are confirmed off CONUS. They'll be at the P. D. soon." said Agent Canning.

"We have any location on the biological father yet?" asked Hotch.

"Still not answering his cell phone. It's not pinging off any towers, either." said Agent Canning.

"So he shut his cell phone off. That's odd for a trucker." said Alex.

"Unless it's a countermeasure. The dark van could have just been a transport vehicle to get Gabby to his truck." said Spencer.

"You're thinking he waited for the opportunity to take her?" asked Agent Canning.

"He has motivation given that he lost custody. We should check rest stops for his truck as well." said Hotch.

"The problem is interstate 59 is just 3 blocks away, and it goes to Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia." said Rossi.

"We've got the borders covered. Nobody's getting out of here without a fight." said Agent Canning.

"Agent Canning, can you get video footage for us from a 5-mile radius? We need to see if there's any video of this dark van coming or going." said Hotch.

"Not much hope there. Katrina took out a lot of the security and traffic cams. They haven't been replaced." said Agent Canning.

"Is Sue inside? We need to talk to her." said Rossi.

"An agent drove her home and is staying with her in case there are any ransom demands. She's a wreck. Not sure you'll get anything new. Excuse me." said Canning before walking away.

Hotch looked at Spencer, Alex, and Rossi.

"All right. Blake, you and Reid stay with Canning's people. If Gabby was a victim of opportunity, then the unsubs didn't have a plan and they could still be in the area. Dave and I will go to the police station and interview Kate and the boyfriend." said Hotch before he and Rossi walked away.

Spencer and Alex walked over to Canning's men and after quick introductions an agent looked at Spencer when he noticed a gold wedding band on his finger.

"You have kids?" asked an agent.

"A 20 month old daughter and eight and a half month old fraternal twins." said Spencer.

"Must have been hard to leave your wife in Virginia to fly out here." said the same agent.

"I live in Washington DC, and my father moved in with my wife, kids, and I after the twins were born to help us out." said Spencer.

At that moment the agent began briefing Spencer and Alex.

* * *

Spencer got out of the SUV that Alex was driving and they approached Agent Canning and one of her agents.

"Hattiesburg P. D. got a call about an abandoned truck. Found the phone under the seat. Just got confirmation. Truck belongs to Doug Hoffer, Gabby's father." said Agent Canning.

"This is only 5 miles from the abduction site." said Spencer.

"It was smart to leave it out here." said Alex.

Agent Canning pointed at nearby cameras.

"The property owners streamed the video from that camera to my phone. We have the truck being parked here Sunday." said Agent Canning.

"Did he walk back into town?" asked Spencer.

"No. A little tough to see, but he was definitely picked up by a dark minivan." said Agent Canning.

"Tell me you have a license plate." said Alex.

"Yeah. Just I. D.'d the owner. Ian Little." said Agent Canning before all four agents got back into the vehicles.

* * *

"There are no calls, but Ian's cell pinged off of 3 cell phone towers outside of town on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I sent you the locations." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at his phone.

"Cell tower range and directionality can be dramatically influenced by atmospheric, electromagnetic, and traffic capacity variations." said Spencer as he drew a few circles on the geographical profile.

Rossi and Morgan gave Spencer questioning looks before Rossi spoke up.

"Meaning?" asked Rossi.

"A cell phone can travel to the same location but ping off of different towers on different days due to independent outside variables. Garcia, can you see what's at this intersection point? 39-30 latitude, negative 89-42 longitude." said Spencer.

Garcia started typing.

"Uh, that would be the old Little farm. And that's Little, not like diminutive, but Little family. That's where Ian grew up." said Garcia.

"So Doug went missing 3 nights ago and Ian's been at that farm each night since then." said Morgan.

"Holy crappy childhood. You can't make this kind of sadness up. It's also the place where Ian's dad killed his mother with a shotgun and then turned it on himself." said Garcia.

Spencer, Rossi, and Morgan exchanged glances.

* * *

Spencer stood at the bank of a river with Morgan and Agent Canning, and as agents headed to a body after hearing dogs bark Agent Canning looked at Spencer.

"You have kids Dr. Reid?" asked Agent Canning.

"A 20 month old daughter named Piper and eight and a half month old twins named Albert and Ava." said Spencer.

A minute later agents set the body in front of the three agents, and Morgan approached it first.

"Who the hell is that?" asked Agent Canning.

"It's our main suspect." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan were walking around the property when Agent Canning got out of a car and approached them.

"Searched the entire property. We found Ian's van in the barn. No sign of Gabby anywhere. What have you got?" asked Agent Canning.

"Coroner says Doug died from blunt force trauma to the head. Then it looks like Ian tried to burn Doug's body here, which, of course, was harder than he thought it would be, so then he dumped Doug's body in the water." said Spencer as he looked at the area that was burned.

"Sounds like rage followed by just about every disposal method that we know of." said Morgan.

"Even wrapped the body, weighed it down with rocks. Could it be remorse?" asked Agent Canning.

"It's more like concealment. We see it a lot when there's a connection between the vic and the killer." said Morgan.

"Coroner says Doug's been dead for at least 72 hours." said Spencer.

"That would be the same day he got here." said Agent Canning.

"So what did this guy do to get himself killed?" asked Morgan causing the four agents to look at the hole that was dug.

* * *

Spencer stood near the bulletin board as Rossi talked.

"We know that Ian picked up Doug on Sunday, then he was killed. What if they surprised Sue at the house?" asked Rossi.

"And Doug was threatening to take Gabby." said Morgan.

"They could have been trying to protect Gabby from him and he was killed by accident." said Spencer.

"Except they went to extravagant lengths to cover it up." said Alex.

"OK, that may be true, but it still doesn't answer where Gabby is or what anyone's motivation is in hurting her." said JJ.

"We can keep theorizing, but every minute we do is a minute Gabby's out there." said Rossi/

At that moment Hotch motioned Rossi to follow him.

"Dave." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer kept Gabby's mother company as JJ headed to Sue's house.

"Do you have kids Dr. Reid?" asked Kate.

"Three kids." said Spencer.

"Mind if I see a recent photo?" asked Kate.

"Sure." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and found the picture that Olivia sent him two hours prior. He pointed out his oldest child first, "That's Piper and she just turned 20 months old on Monday and those two are Albert and Ava who are eight and a half months old." said Spencer.

"Beautiful children you got there." said Kate.

"Thank you." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer approached Hotch as Hotch, Alex, and Rossi headed towards him.

"Kate's right. Sue's never gonna tell us where Gabby is. It's her final move to punish Kate." said Hotch.

"Sue wants to inflict maximum pain upon Kate." said Spencer.

"So you're thinking she'll do whatever it takes to make Kate suffer and keep on suffering." said Rossi.

"Not knowing what happened to your child would be the ultimate torture for any parent." said Spencer as he thought about his father's reaction after he told him about his abduction and torture at the hands of Tobias Hankel before thinking about the smiling faces of Piper, Albert, and Ava.

"But if Sue killed Gabby, chances are eventually we'd find the body." said Alex.

"She'd need to find a way to get rid of her permanently, without killing her." said Rossi.

* * *

Spencer was talking on the phone to JJ and Morgan.

"Nothing's out of place. In fact, all of Gabby's things are packed up as if she was preparing to go back home." said JJ.

"That's strong evidence of a false allegation." said Spencer.

"So all of this was arranged by Sue for what, to get back at Kate?" asked Morgan.

"You should have seen her with Kate. She was relentlessly sadistic." said Spencer.

"So Sue planned this with whoever was in the dark van. But there doesn't seem to be any paper trail of it here." said JJ.

"And there's no electronic trail either. There's no computer or cell phone. Outside of a land line, this girl's living tech-free." said Morgan.

"That's because she's hiding something." said Spencer.

"Yeah. I agree. Alright Reid thanks." said Morgan before hanging up.

* * *

"Disrupted adoptions?" asked an angry Agent Canning.

"That's what the people involved are calling it. They're also referring to it as re-homing. And it's been happening underground for some time now." said Spencer.

"Until now, it's mainly been overwhelmed adoptive parents of problem children from overseas." said Alex.

"Good people go on the site looking for guidance or services, but bad people offer to take problem kids off their hands as a last resort." said Spencer.

"So they just give them away to some random couple?" asked Agent Canning.

"Calling them couples is a bit generous. The article talks about these people who pose as families, but really, they're just freaks looking for access to kids." said JJ.

"And no one's keeping track of them." said Alex.

"Why isn't this illegal?" asked Agent Canning.

"Well, 'cause it's a relatively new practice, and unsurprisingly, no legislation's been written yet." said Hotch.

"So how did Sue manage to give Gabby away?" asked Agent Canning.

"She posed as Gabby's mother and gave her to a woman who claimed she knew how to deal with troubled kids." said JJ.

* * *

Spencer was leaning forward with his hands on a chair.

"Garcia, we're out of time. We need something." said Hotch.

"OK. There are 3 families who responded to Sue's post." said Garcia.

"Do any of them own a dark van?" asked Rossi.

"There's a Nicole Jones. She owns a blue '03 Caravan. She lives in a shack 20 miles south of where you are off of Interstate 59." said Garcia.

"Let's go." said Hotch.

Everyone followed Hotch.

* * *

Spencer got out of an SUV and followed Hotch's instructions. He started clearing the property with Alex and an officer following him and he pointed a gun at Nicole who was rising to her full height with her hands up.

"Guys!" shouted Spencer.

"D-don't shoot me." said Nicole.

"Where's Gabby Hoffer?" asked Spencer sternly.

"She's gone." said Nicole.

* * *

Spencer handed Nicole to a few police officers who walked away with Nicole.

"She's still not talking." said Spencer.

"She must have panicked and gotten rid of Gabby." said Alex.

"Garcia, who else from the area answered Sue's post?" asked Hotch.

"Uh... There's one woman, Michelle Fader. She ran in the same sick circles. And she owns an old van. This Fader's a real winner. She was evicted from her last known address." said Garcia.

"They probably won't risk going back towards the abduction site, which means they're headed southwest. Let's go." said Hotch.

A few minutes later everyone was heading to Michelle's address.

"OK. The woman I hope you're about to arrest had all of her biological kids taken from her 5 years ago because another child died while in her custody." said Garcia.

"She was never charged?" asked JJ.

"Oh, no, she was, but for neglect. She didn't spend a minute in jail. Social workers haven't come by her house at all because none of her kids are in her custody." said Garcia.

"And they have no idea she's been finding new children online." said JJ.

"Those poor little darlings are being treated like trash. They don't know that anybody cares. We care. We care." said Garcia as she looked at a photo that she kept of Jack, Henry, Piper, Albert, and Ava together on her desk.

"Garcia, widen your search to any know male associates of Michelle Fader." said Hotch.

"Yeah, will do. Ohh. I got a picture of Fader with some guy who could win sleaze of the century award. He's got his arm all possessively around this sweet little girl." said Garcia.

"Run facial recognition software and get an I. D. on him." said Morgan.

"OK, I got a match. Michael Feehan. He is the perv in the picture with Fader. He's not in any registries, but he has got a list of accusations. None of them were proven because all of the victims were too young." said Garcia.

"Garcia, did you get the address?" asked Hotch.

"Running it now." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer entered the house with his teammates.

"What the hell's goin' on?!" asked Michelle.

"Michelle Fader, you're under arrest for staging a child abduction. You have the right to remain silent" said Hotch as his teammates handcuffed Michelle.

"I didn't do nothin'. Look, I was trying to help that girl. I am only trying to help that girl. She wanted a fresh start." said a protesting Michelle.

"Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law." said Hotch as he and Spencer escorted Michelle out of the house, "You have a right to an attorney..."

"I've got Gabby. And there are other kids back here." said JJ.

Spencer went to help JJ with the kids.

Spencer's heart broke when he saw the young kids sitting on the floor.

"Are you OK?" asked JJ.

"Can you take me home now?" asked Gabby.

"Yes, sweetheart. OK, come on. Up you go." said JJ as she scooped up Gabby.

The two Asian kids came over to Spencer who scooped them up into both of his arms.

"My name is Spencer, and on the way to the station I will do some magic tricks for you two." said Spencer as he carried the two kids to a waiting SUV.

* * *

Spencer watched the reunion between the mother and daughter causing him to think about the reunion he's going to have with Piper, Albert, and Ava when he gets home.

"JJ... You OK?" asked Morgan.

"They don't have anyplace safe to be." said JJ.

"It's not ideal, but they'll be in foster care until they find a family." said Alex.

"Yeah, but how many more kids like that are out there?" asked Rossi.

"That's a good question." said Hotch.

Morgan decided to put Garcia on Skype on his phone.

"Hey, sweetness, thought you might want to see something." said Morgan.

"What?" asked Garcia.

Morgan turned his camera around so Garcia could see.

"Oh, ho ho ho. I needed that." said Garcia.

At that moment everyone included Hotch started smiling.

"I'm so ready to go home and hug Piper, Albert, and Ava close to me." said Spencer.

The two Asian kids came running over to Spencer.

"Can you show that trick again?" asked the girl.

"Sure sweetie." said Spencer as he knelt down to the kids eye level, grabbed a quarter from his pocket and did a few slight of hand tricks causing everyone to smile and laugh.

* * *

As they were heading to the airstrip, Spencer called Olivia.

"You found the girl?" asked Olivia.

"We sure did, but I really want to talk to the kids since I'm heading to the jet now." said Spencer.

"Piper's the only one awake right now, so I will put her on." said Olivia as she looked at Piper, "Daddy's on the phone right now."

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

Spencer's face broke into a huge grin at the voice of his 20 month old daughter.

"Are you being good for mommy and grandpa?" asked Spencer.

"I a good girl." said Piper.

"Yes you are, sweet pea." said Olivia.

"Livy, do you think Piper, Albert, and Ava can sleep with us when I get home?" asked Spencer.

"I was already planning that our three babies sleep with us when you get home." said Olivia.

"I no baby I a big girl." said Piper.

"Even though you're my oldest daughter, you and Ava are always going to be my little girls no matter how old or big you two get." said Spencer.

Olivia laughed.

"You should see her pouting right now." said Olivia.

"With how she inherited my eyes and my pout, she's definitely going to become a master manipulator like me." said Spencer.

"You come home daddy?" asked Piper.

"I will be home in a few hours, but if you fall asleep right now I will be home before you know it." said Spencer.

"OK daddy." said Piper.

"How about we light a fire when we get home, spread a few blankets on the floor and have a camp out in the living room?" asked Olivia.

"Wonderful idea." said Spencer as the SUV pulled over.

"See you in a few hours." said Olivia.

"You too, and I'm about to head to the jet now." said Spencer before telling Olivia and Piper that he loves them before hanging up.

* * *

A few hours later the family of five were sleeping on a pile of blankets in the living room, and Piper, Albert, and Ava were either on top of their daddy or curled into his sides.


	18. Persuasion Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison and tannerose5 for reviewing chapter 17._

* * *

Spencer was working on his paperwork when he heard a familiar voice.

"Daddy." said Piper.

Spencer looked up to see Piper running towards him as chuckling agents who were standing in her way quickly stepped to the side, and a minute later Spencer had Piper on his lap when Olivia came towards them with a double stroller containing the twins.

"What are you doing here?" asked Spencer as he kissed his oldest child's cheek.

"I miss you." said Piper.

"I missed you too, Piper." said Spencer as Olivia reached them.

"She asked to come see you and I couldn't say no since the twins also missed you." said Olivia.

"I am glad that you asked mommy to come here to visit." said Spencer as he hugged Piper.

"Where's JJ, Alex, Derek, and Penelope?" asked Olivia.

"They decided to go out for lunch and Hotch, Rossi, and I are the only ones here since I was eating lunch at my desk." said Spencer.

Albert and Ava started squirming in their stroller causing Olivia to release them and a minute later Albert was toddling towards his daddy while Olivia had Ava placed on her hip.

"You missed me big guy?" asked Spencer as he settled Albert on his lap.

"Ya Dada." said Albert as he patted his daddy's cheek.

Spencer looked at Ava.

"How's my little birdie doing?" asked Spencer.

"Dada." smiled Ava.

At that moment Olivia noticed Hotch and Rossi coming down the stairs.

"Look who's coming, Piper." said Olivia.

Piper turned her head and grinned when she saw her godfather.

"Unca Aaron!" shouted Piper as she got off her daddy's lap and ran to her godfather who scooped her up right away.

"Hey there, Piper." said Hotch.

"I miss you unca Aaron." said Piper.

"I missed you too, and I am glad that you wanted to come visit your daddy and me at work." said Hotch.

Spencer and Olivia smirked at each other as Olivia handed Ava to Spencer.

"I want to see Albert walk." said Rossi.

Spencer set Albert onto the floor and looked at his son.

"Go to Papa Dave." said Spencer.

Albert smiled at his daddy before toddling over to Rossi.

"You're getting better at walking Albert." said Rossi as he scooped up the baby boy.

"Hi." said Albert.

"You look so much like your daddy." said Rossi as he watched Ava giggle when Spencer tickled her belly.

"Has Ava tried to take steps on her own yet?" asked Hotch.

"She can take a few steps while holding onto someone's hand." said Spencer.

"Well let's see." said Rossi.

Spencer got out of his chair and set the nearly nine month old baby on her feet. He took her hand, and a few seconds later Spencer was walking while holding his youngest daughter's hand.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"As much as I enjoyed coming here to distract you guys during my husband's lunch break, we have to get going since Piper has a play date with Andrea." said Olivia as she collected Ava from her husband.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Stay wit daddy." said Piper.

"Daddy has to work." said Spencer.

Piper pouted at her daddy, causing Hotch's heart to melt.

"Piper can stay here since it's practically a slow day. And having my goddaughter stay here will hopefully soften the blow when Garcia finds out that she missed this visit." said Hotch.

"Oh boy." muttered Spencer.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"You're in trouble when she sees Piper here." said Olivia.

"I know, but let me help you get the twins into the SUV, and I'm glad that I have a car seat for Piper in my car." said Spencer

"I think I can handle them fine since I took them to doctor appointments alone." said Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer.

Olivia grabbed Piper's diaper bag and set it under her husband's desk before briefly pecking him on the lips.

"See you later when you come home." said Olivia before looking at Piper, "You be good for daddy."

"OK mommy." said Piper.

After Spencer said goodbye to Albert and Ava, Olivia was off with the twins.

"How about you work in the conference room so you don't have to work with Piper on your lap." said Hotch.

"I was already planning on asking you since there's a couch that Piper can nap on if she's tired." said Spencer.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"I need go potty." said Piper.

Spencer scooped up Piper and carried her to the men's room where Agent Anderson was exiting a stall.

"Piper has definitely grown since the last time I saw her." said Anderson.

"I would love to chat, but right now she has to go to the bathroom." said Spencer as he took her into a stall.

A few minutes later Spencer exited the stall with Piper as Anderson came into the bathroom with a small stool.

"I thought that this will be easy for your daughter." said Anderson as he smiled at Piper.

"Thank you." said Spencer before looking at Piper, "Let's get your hands washed."

"OK daddy." said Piper.

* * *

15 minutes later JJ and Alex entered the bullpen and looked at each other when they saw Spencer's desk empty.

"Where's Spence?" asked JJ.

At that moment Alex smiled when she saw a toddler run around in the conference room.

"Seems like Olivia came to visit with the kids, and one of them ended up staying since she wanted her daddy." said Alex.

JJ took a look in the direction Alex was looking, and she quickly texted Garcia and Morgan.

IT SEEMS LIKE SPENCE HAD A FEW VISITORS WHILE WE WERE AT LUNCH, AND ONE OF THE VISITORS ENDED UP STAYING WHICH CAUSED SPENCE TO WORK IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM. ~ JJ

* * *

Later that evening Spencer entered the house with a sleeping Piper on his hip, and Olivia who was playing with Albert and Ava looked up.

"Was she a problem at the office?" asked Olivia.

"No, but Garcia and Morgan were upset that they missed the twins visit, and a bunch of agents got to witness The Morgan-Effect which they found highly amusing." said Spencer as he set Piper on the couch.

Olivia laughed.

"Dinner will be done in 20 minutes." said Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer.

* * *

The next day Spencer was sitting at the conference table with his teammates as Garcia briefed them about their latest case.

"The bodies of two unidentified women were found in the desert just outside of the good doctor's hometown, Las Vegas." said Garcia causing Spencer to perk up as she continued, "They were stripped of their I. D. One looks like she was killed yesterday, the other a couple of weeks ago."

"According to the M. E. report, both women were in their 30s, and is this cause of death right?" asked Morgan.

"Yes, and I have confirmed it. Both women drowned." said Garcia.

"How far is the nearest body of water?" asked Rossi.

"The Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, like 60 miles." said Garcia.

"So we're looking at a disposal site. Were they sexually assaulted?" asked Alex.

"No, but they did both suffer blunt force trauma and severe antemortem abrasions to the wrists and ankles." said Garcia.

"That means they were most likely held somewhere before they were killed." said Spencer.

"Or maybe they were bound so they could be tortured with water." said JJ.

"She's right. We can't rule out water-boarding or being held underwater in a pool or a bathtub, it's possible this unsub's a sadist." said Rossi.

"The woman killed yesterday was wearing a uniform. She could have been a waitress or a maid." said Morgan.

Spencer decided to give his teammates some facts about his hometown.

"There are 93 hotels in Las Vegas, 260 motels and inns, 1,510 bars, and 2,996 restaurants. Not to mention nearby Summerlin, which is growing in popularity." said Spencer.

"Well, local P. D. has ruled out the major establishments. They're combing through the smaller ones now to see if they can find a match." said Garcia.

"The other Jane Doe was pretty decomposed. Clothing looks ordinary. Is that a fanny pack she's wearing?" asked Rossi.

"Yes, and it was empty." said Garcia.

"It means she was probably a tourist, though." said Alex.

"Last year Las Vegas documented 39,727,022 visitors." said Spencer as he thought about his last trip during Christmas.

"No other place has better surveillance software." said JJ.

"Garcia, contact Vegas P. D. and ask them to start going through hotel and casino surveillance video from 3 weeks ago, and tell them we'll be there in 4 hours. Let's go." said Hotch.

"Yes, sir." said Garcia.

A minute later Spencer was calling Olivia as he grabbed his jacket, go bag, and messenger bag.

"A case?" asked Olivia.

"Going home to Las Vegas, and I'm heading to the jet right now so I don't have that much time to chat." said Spencer.

"Make sure that you visit your mom, aunt Ethel, and uncle Gordon." said Olivia.

"I will call mom once I'm in the air, but can you contact uncle Gordon and aunt Ethel?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Olivia.

"I will call you later Livy." said Spencer.

"Please stay safe, and I love you." said Olivia.

"I promise to stay safe, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

A minute later Spencer was in the elevator with his teammates.

"I already called Olivia and asked her to contact my aunt and uncle to let them know that I will be in town, and while we're on the plane I'm going to call my mom." said Spencer.

"I'm glad that you're following our unofficial team rule." said Hotch.

"I haven't seen my mom, aunt, and uncle since Christmas while my dad flew out to take my mom on a belated Valentine's Day date. And this trip to Las Vegas means that I don't have to mail the pictures that I was going to send to mom, uncle Gordon, and aunt Ethel after work today since I can now give them the pictures in person." said Spencer.

* * *

After the jet took off, Spencer pulled out his cellphone and walked away from his teammates so he could talk in private, and instead of hearing his mother's greeting he ended up getting voice mail.

"Hi, mom, it's me again. I'm on a plane to Las Vegas, and I can't wait to see you. You know, I've been thinking, I haven't had chicken fried lobster since Christmas, so I was hoping maybe when the case is done, we can go to Binion's and tell you how everything is going with Dad, Olivia, and the kids." said Spencer before seeing the look that Hotch was giving him, telling him that they're ready for briefing, "Um, I have to go. Call me back. Bye. Love you." said Spencer before hanging up.

A few seconds later Spencer took a seat next to JJ and grabbed the file he was given.

"The two women were brunettes in their 30s. The unsub has a type." said Rossi.

"If that's the case, were they targeted, or were they victims of opportunity?" asked Morgan.

"There's something strange about the disposal site. It would seem like he took the bodies into the desert to hide them, but he chose a spot next to an old construction site that's for sale." said JJ.

"He had to imagine that someone would show up eventually." said Hotch.

"So was he hiding the bodies or displaying them?" asked Alex.

"It could be both. He might be hiding them from law enforcement but displaying them to another group." said Spencer.

"Hello, American heroes. I just got an I. D. on the most recently deceased victim, Frida Bancroft, 34. She was working as a waitress at Della Rose's grill downtown. Manager said she'd been there for two months, and I just sent you a picture." said Garcia.

"Did she exhibit unusual behavior recently, or was she involved with anyone suspicious?" asked Rossi.

"Well, the manager said he took a chance by hiring her because she's a former drug addict with a spotty work history, and when she didn't show up to work for the last 3 days, he figured she had started using again." said Garcia.

"But we know she didn't, because the M. E. report says the tox screen was negative." said Morgan.

"JJ, you and Reid go to the disposal site. Dave and Morgan, go to the diner and find out what you can about the waitress, and Blake and I will go to the Vegas P. D." said Hotch.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Have you ever been to Della Rose's Grill?" asked Rossi.

"A few times, but I prefer Binions since their chicken fried lobster is very good." said Spencer.

"We will have to go there after this case." said Morgan.

"As long as we invite my mom, aunt, and uncle while making sure that I have leftovers to take home to Olivia." said Spencer.

"You know the way to the disposal site?" asked JJ.

"I do." said Spencer.

"How about you drive then, since you're familiar with the area." said JJ.

"I was hoping that you would let me." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer pulled over the SUV, and a minute later Spencer and JJ approached Detective Ramirez.

"I'm Dr. Spencer Reid and this is Agent Jareau." said Spencer as he and JJ shook hands with Detective Ramirez.

"I hope you didn't have trouble finding this area." said Detective Ramirez.

"I use to go stargazing out here when I was a kid." said Spencer.

"You're from this city?" asked Detective Ramirez.

"Born and raised, but let's focus on the case." said Spencer as he started walking while JJ and Detective Ramirez followed.

"The owners don't like it, but there's not much they can do about it. Bored teenagers party and drink here. Vagrants come out to collect the empty beer bottles and cans." said Detective Ramirez.

"So this location actually gets a lot of visitors." said JJ as she took a look at the surroundings that Spencer was familiar with.

"More than you'd expect in the middle of the desert." said Detective Ramirez.

"It's probably because this is here. People like to have a landmark to go to. Where exactly were the bodies found?" asked Spencer.

"The waitress was about 5 yards from the main sign. The tourist was 200 yards that way." said Detective Ramirez.

Spencer took a look at the paint that was on the billboard, grabbed a pencil from his pocket and allowed the eraser touch the paint.

"This isn't completely dry. There are drops of paint on the ground. This was done recently." said Spencer.

"Whoever it was must have seen the body. It'd be hard to miss here." said JJ.

"It was probably some kid too scared to report it." said Detective Ramirez.

"2/10 could be a tagger name or a gang sign." said Spencer before looking at Detective Ramirez, "Does it look familiar to you?"

"No." said Detective Ramirez.

"2 out of 10. It's possible the unsub wrote this. There were two victims here. Which means there could be 8 more." said JJ.

"He might be operating off a hit list." said Spencer.

* * *

"OK, well, thank you." said Spencer before hanging up with his mother's psychiatrist.

JJ noticed the sad look on Spencer's face.

"What's wrong?" asked JJ.

"My mom's not even here. Her psychiatrist said that she's doing really well on some new medication, so she decided to go on a supervised field trip to the Grand Canyon." said Spencer as he and JJ headed towards the others.

"That's great. Isn't it?" asked JJ.

"No, it is great. It's just- I guess I kinda of can't believe that she didn't tell me about it, you know? This is someone that used to literally write me a letter daily at one point." said Spencer as he thought about the letters that he and Olivia would receive.

"I see. You think she forgot about you? Spence, you should be happy. This means she's getting better. She's not constantly checking in." said JJ.

"You're right, I know." said Spencer and JJ approached the others.

"Grifters, hustlers, scammers- call them what you will. This town has always been a mecca for con artists." said Rossi.

"Yeah, but nobody comes here with the intent on being a strip-miner. It's just people with bigger dreams that didn't pan out." said Morgan as his phone rang, causing him to put it on speaker, "Hey, baby girl, what you got, mama?"

"Props to the Federal B. I. Our next generation database is usually a miss, but today I got a big hit. I've I. D.'d our mystery man. His name is Elijah Hall, and 10 years ago Elijah served time in San Diego for assault and possession of PCP." said Garcia.

"Any connection to Renee Sheffield?" asked JJ.

"No, not that I can see." said Garcia.

"When did he move to Las Vegas?" asked Spencer.

"7 years ago. I don't have a current address yet, but fret not, my chickens, as soon as I do, I will hit you back." said Garcia.

"Do your thing." said Morgan before hanging up.

At that moment Hotch and Alex approached the others, and Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Finally got a hold of your mom?" asked Rossi.

"No." said Spencer.

"She's having a bad day?" asked Hotch.

"With how well she's been doing on her medication that she was put on after Christmas, she decided to go to the Grand Canyon." said Spencer

"You can still visit your aunt and uncle." said Hotch.

"I know." said Spencer as he sent a text message to his aunt and uncle before finding out that they didn't even know his mom was on a supervised trip, "Aunt Ethel and uncle Gordon didn't know that my mom checked herself out of Bennington." said Spencer.

At that moment Spencer's stomach growled, and Hotch looked at his agents.

"We might as well go get something to eat before we head to the hotel and get some sleep." said Hotch.

"Let's not do Binions yet since I will want to invite my aunt and uncle, but I know where I want to eat dinner." said Spencer.

"The diner where your aunt works?" asked Rossi.

"Yes." said Spencer.

"Let's go then." said Hotch.

"I just need to make a quick phone call." said Spencer as he walked away to call his aunt.

"Hello Spencer." said Ethel.

"You still at work?" asked Spencer.

"I am since I'm working the night shift. Have you and your teammates eaten dinner yet?" asked Ethel.

"Not yet, but we're going to be there soon for a late dinner before heading to the hotel." said Spencer.

"Well at least you and your teammates will get to eat on the house since I'm the manager." said Ethel.

"I have to get going and I will see you in about 15 minutes." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

Spencer smiled when he saw his aunt approach him and his teammates.

"Hi aunt Ethel." said Spencer as he got up and hugged his aunt.

"Thanks for letting me know that you guys were coming." said Ethel before looking at Spencer's teammates, "You guys get to eat on the house."

"We can't do that since the FBI provides us the funds for food and lodging during cases." said Hotch.

"I'm the manager of this diner, and you guys are here to catch the killer that's lurking in this city so it's the least I can do for you."

"You already know what I want, aunt Ethel." said Spencer as he sat back down.

"I know Spencer, but can I give you a suggestion?" asked Ethel.

"What is it?" asked Spencer.

"Even though I approve the length of your hair, I want you to think about getting those unruly bangs of yours trimmed since I can barely see your beautiful brown eyes through your glasses." said Ethel as she moved her nephew's bangs out of his eyes.

"Aunt Ethel." groaned Spencer as his face heated up while everyone laughed.

"So in order for me to stop embarrassing my favorite nephew, how about you guys tell me your orders." said Ethel.

Everyone told Ethel what they wanted, and a short while later they was eating their late dinner while talking about anything but work since Ethel joined them so Spencer could give her updates on everything that was going on back home while she looked at the pictures that he was planning on sending to her.

* * *

While Hotch was taking his shower, Spencer decided to call Olivia despite it being midnight in DC.

"You're on speaker with William and I." said Olivia.

"Hey." said Spencer.

"How's Vegas?" asked William.

"I mainly got to see the desert today, but I found out that mom isn't even at Bennington right now." said Spencer.

"Where is Diana?" asked William.

Spencer ended up repeating his conversation with Dr. Norman, and when he was finished Olivia spoke up.

"Maybe in a few weeks we can take the kids out there." said Olivia.

"I was already thinking about it too since Hotch mentioned that the police department I'm working with would like me to give a brief seminar on profiling the next time I'm out here." said Spencer.

"What officer are you working with?" asked William.

"Detective Solana Ramirez." said Spencer.

"I've never met her." said William.

"Have you seen aunt Ethel or uncle Gordon yet?" asked Olivia.

"We had a late dinner at the diner that aunt Ethel's manager at." said Spencer as he looked at the alarm clock and he heard the shower turn off, "Well I'm going to let you two head to bed since I'm going to need some sleep myself." said Spencer.

"Goodnight Spencer." said William.

"Goodnight dad." said Spencer.

"Goodnight Spencer." said Olivia.

"Goodnight Olivia." said Spencer before he told his father and Olivia that he loved them and hanging up.

* * *

Spencer pulled over the SUV and a few minutes later Alex was looking at Elijah's body.

"The abrasions on Elijah's hands and ankles are like the other victims." said Alex as she stood up to her full height.

Spencer took a look at the familiar sites.

"This is a populated area. We compromised his original disposal site, but this is a far cry from the desert." said Spencer.

"It means the unsub's growing bolder." said Alex.

"He's certainly less concerned about concealing his crime. Look at this." said Spencer.

Alex took a look at where Spencer was looking.

"2 out of 10 again. But this is the third victim that we know about, so it can't be about a hit list." said Alex.

"2 out of 10 isn't a countdown at all. I think he might be referring to a hobo code." said Spencer.

"From the great depression." said Alex.

"Exactly. It means two eyes on 10 fingers because thieves are present." said Spencer.

"Well let's head back to the station." said Alex.

A minute later Spencer was climbing into the drivers seat of the SUV.

"Thank you for allowing me to drive." said Spencer.

"You know this city better than I do." said Alex.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was explaining to his teammates what he and Alex found out.

"The code was devised during the Great Depression by hobos to help each other out." said Spencer.

"By placing the codes near the victims, who's being helped?" asked Morgan.

"No one. It's a threat. If you steal, this is what will happen to you. We're ready to give the profile." said Hotch.

* * *

"We're looking for a sociopath who is taking revenge on people he believes stole from him." said JJ.

"None of the victims had a documented address, so it's likely they were homeless. They may have known each other from the street or from a shelter." said Spencer.

"The disposal site of the first two victims served a dual purpose. It was meant to hide the bodies from law enforcement but at the same time put them on display for the people that the message was intended for." said Morgan.

"All of this suggests a group or organization at work, but it doesn't have the hallmarks of organized crime." said Rossi.

"The victims seen on surveillance video weren't stealing large sums of money, so we're dealing with a much smaller community." said Alex.

"But this group operates by a strict code, and any violation of that code can result in death." said Hotch.

"You should be on the lookout for groups that operate robberies and cons together." said JJ.

"The group has a strong leader who does not tolerate dissent." said Alex.

"This leader appears normal and comfortable in social situations. He may even be extroverted and charismatic like a cult leader." said Hotch.

"He'll have grandiose delusions and believe that he is special. He may even believe that he can communicate with God or some other higher powers." said Morgan.

"He will attempt to surround himself with people who are subservient, either sycophantic followers or people who are trapped by financial constraints." said Spencer.

"How's he recruiting these people?" asked Detective Ramirez.

"It's likely he attracts followers by offering some assistance. But as his power grows, so will his narcissism." said Rossi.

"He'll begin to make increasingly extreme demands. He'll want more attention, which could be why his latest victim was found in a very public place." said JJ.

"With the choice of this latest disposal site, it indicates that he's growing bolder and more careless. He has lost 3 followers. He's gonna need new recruits. So we should step up patrols in areas where the homeless population gathers. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

 _A/N: Part two of Persuasion is currently in progress._


	19. Persuasion Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81, tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 18._

 _Now here is part two of Persuasion._

* * *

After the profile was given, Spencer and JJ headed to the M. E.'s office.

"Well, other than gender, one other thing's different about this victim. These fresh abrasion marks on the neck." said Dr. Chen as he gestured to Elijah's neck.

"Strangulation?" asked JJ.

"That's your cause of death. No sign of drowning here." said Dr. Chen.

"Drowning his victims was a unique signature. Why change it now?" asked JJ.

"Maybe he didn't have the time or means to drown him, or the unsub could be devolving." said Spencer.

Dr. Chen came over with the lab results.

"The diatom results are back on the water in the lungs of the first two victims. This is interesting. 1,900 milligrams of lead, 320 milligrams of-." said Dr. Chen before Spencer interrupted.

"Do you mind if I just take a peek at this? It'll be quicker." said Spencer as he took the clip board and a few seconds later he spoke up, "This isn't drinking water. It's contaminated with ground pollutants. It's like storm-water runoff."

"So the unsub killed him in a gutter?" asked JJ.

"My guess would be the floodwater control tunnels beneath the city." said Spencer as he looked at JJ.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was explaining about the flood control tunnels that were underneath Las Vegas.

"There are at least 1,500 people who live in the flood control tunnels. It's a crossroads of the destitute- ex-cons, drug addicts, hard-core gamblers." said Spencer.

"Plus there's always the threat that the tunnels will flood like they did last week when there was a flash thunderstorm in the desert. We try to warn the residents to evacuate, but there isn't always time." said Detective Ramirez.

"Some of the tunnels will flood when there's just a 15-minute storm up in the mountains." said Spencer as he thought about his uncle telling him about the thunderstorm that Detective Ramirez mentioned.

"So if the unsub knew about a coming storm, he could have just tied up the victims and left them in the tunnel to drown." said Morgan.

"Then afterwards he just took the bodies to the desert to dump them." said JJ.

"With the third victim, it hadn't rained in the last 24 hours, so he had to just strangle him." said Spencer.

"Frida Bancroft was a former drug addict. Renee and Elijah were both strip-miners. It's more than likely they were all residents underground." said Morgan.

"So we need to start searching these tunnels." said JJ.

"That's the tricky part. There are 413 miles of them." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer opened up the door as he talked to Hotch and Rossi.

"Based on where the victims were last seen alive, plus the most accessible locations in the tunnels, I've narrowed down the two most likely sections they stayed in. They're 22 miles apart." said Spencer as Detective Ramirez approached them.

"Just got a call about a missing person. A journalist for the "Las Vegas Chronicle" by the name of Sarah Renfield." said Detective Ramirez.

"Do you think this is connected to our case?" asked Rossi.

"She's been working on a story about the homeless people in the tunnels." said Detective Ramirez.

"Has anyone tried tracking her cell phone?" asked Hotch.

"It was found in a dumpster on Beakman Street on the south side of town." said Detective Ramirez.

Spencer quickly looked at the map he was holding.

"That's right here. Nearest tunnel access point is C-16. That's 30 miles from our other locations." said Spencer as he pointed at the locations.

"All right, we should split up." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV that Rossi was driving.

"What'd you find, Garcia?" asked Rossi.

"Could someone let the Pope know about me, because what I do is kind of a miracle. I recovered a text from Renee Sheffield's cell phone sent 6 months ago before her service was cut off. It reads, "Met E in tunnel. Great guy. Planning to leave together soon."" said Garcia.

"Any chance "E" stands for Elijah Hall?" asked Morgan as he drove another SUV.

"In my limited research of the tunnels, it appears that people meet and fall in love there." said Garcia.

"I've heard about entire families that live down there." said Spencer.

"So in addition of being accused of stealing, it seems all 3 victims wanted to move out of the tunnels." said JJ.

"Well, Frida the waitress had just left. If Renee and Elijah were about to do the same, that could have triggered the unsub's rage." said Hotch.

"You can't have a cult if everyone tries to leave." said Alex.

"Who knew living in the tunnels came at such a high price?" asked Rossi.

* * *

Spencer and Rossi were going through their section of the tunnel, and Spencer didn't care that his converse sneakers were getting wet as they walked through some water that was about an inch deep.

"We're at a locked entrance. No one's been here in a long time." said Hotch over the radio.

"Copy that." said Rossi before looking at his boots that were getting wet, "Ohh. Remind me to call my shoemaker. I'm gonna need a new pair of boots." said Rossi.

Spencer gave Rossi a surprised look despite the darkness in the tunnel.

"You have a shoemaker?" asked Spencer.

"Well, one thing I've learned in life a good pair of shoes can last longer than a marriage. You only have to pay for them once." said Rossi.

"At least you weren't allowed to back out of searching these tunnels since we had three different areas to search causing us to split up into teams of two." said Spencer.

"If I knew that we would be going through the area that contained water I would have demanded to have us switch locations." grumbled Rossi.

"Just be glad that it's water." said Spencer.

"I know." grumbled Rossi.

* * *

Spencer stood outside the interrogation room with Hotch and Alex as they listened to Rossi and JJ interrogate Cesar.

"He can do whatever- he can do whatever he wants in you just by thinking it." said Cesar.

"If he's not delusional and this is an act, he's quite good." said Spencer as he thought back to how he used to play into his mother's delusions to keep himself safe.

"The water is over the bridge. It could be the opposite of water under the bridge. It would mean something's not forgiven, which is consistent with revenge as a motive." said Alex.

"The drowning of the first two victims could be symbolic of that." said Hotch before he answered a call from Garcia, "Go ahead, Garcia."

"Coming at you with the skinny on Cesar Jones. He's an ex-con who served time 8 years ago for armed robbery. According to prison incident reports, he is known for his volatile temper and extreme brutality." said Garcia.

"Any history of mental illness? Any psychotic or delusional disorders?" asked Alex.

Garcia did some typing before speaking up.

"I am not finding it. I think he's just an angry person." said Garcia.

"Ok. Thanks." said Hotch before hanging up, "I don't think Cesar could have pulled off all these murders or the kidnapping of the reporter."

"It would take patience, planning, and organization. He doesn't have the concentration or skill set." said Alex.

""Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."" said Spencer.

""The Wizard of Oz"?" asked Alex.

"The Doctor could be real." asked Hotch.

Spencer nodded.

"Cesar would be the kind of person vulnerable to manipulation. And Dr. Aja Mesbi. That's an odd name." said Alex as Spencer was talking to himself silently, "It sounds vaguely African or Indian."

"Or made up." said Hotch.

"It's an anagram, for James Braid. He was a Scottish surgeon in the 1800s, considered to be the father of hypnosis. Let me try something." said Spencer.

A minute later Spencer entered the interrogation room.

"Cesar, hi. My name is Dr. Spencer Reid, and I'm an FBI agent." said Spencer before looking at the camera and whispered as he sat down, "But, really, I work for Dr. Mesbi. He sent me here to help you."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" asked Cesar.

Spencer grabbed the remote he was given by Detective Ramirez and pushed a button to turn off the camera.

"I'll turn the camera off. I think you know the Doctor's very powerful, and you can imagine he has many people in many places to help him. Do you believe that?" asked Spencer.

"The Doctor values you, Cesar. He trusts you, and you know that. You're very important and we need to get you out of here, but in order for me to help you, I need to know about the last conversation you had with the Doctor." whispered Spencer.

"I can't remember it." said Cesar.

"I'm going to help you try to remember, OK? Do me a favor and close your eyes." said Spencer.

Cesar closed his eyes.

"Imagine you're back in the tunnels. It's chilly. The air smells damp. Do you see anything?" asked Spencer.

Cesar quickly flashed back to his time in the tunnel.

"I see Elijah. He's begging for his life. I hear the Doctor and I go to him." said Cesar.

"What happens next?" asked Spencer.

"He's-" said Cesar as he explained what happened.

A few minutes later Spencer approached his teammates and Detective Ramirez.

"The reporter's still alive. The Doctor's real name is Marvin Caul. He and someone named Finn Bailey took her into one of the tunnels heading into the desert." said Spencer.

"How'd you get him to talk?" asked Detective Ramirez.

"Neuro-linguistic programming. I used sensory predicates and key words to tap into his unconscious mind. Marvin Caul must have done the exact same thing." said Spencer as he rushed over to the clear board to look at the map.

"You've lost me." said Ramirez.

Hotch decided to give Ramirez some sympathy since he was used to Reid walking away to look at a map or picture.

"NLP is a way of thinking and communicating based on linguistic modeling." said Hotch.

"For example, key words like know and imagine open someone up to suggestion. It's behind a lot of persuasion and sales techniques." said Alex.

"There are two different exits into the desert. One on the north end and the other's on the west." said Spencer.

"All right, let's go." said Hotch.

* * *

As Spencer was heading to one of the exits with Rossi and Alex.

"What have you got, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"Marvin Caul, known as the master of deception. He's a low-level entertainer who performs at private parties. He hasn't filed a tax return in 5 years. The IRS is after him. No known address. He does have a P. O. Box." said Garcia.

"No tax returns? He's either not doing so well or doing really well." said Alex.

"I'd guess the former. Someone who feels trivial in the regular world would look for power elsewhere." said JJ.

"Well, the homeless would be an easy population for him to exploit and give him a sense of importance." said Morgan.

"What did you find out about Finn Bailey?" asked Hotch.

"Finn Bailey, 26. He was picked up in Reno two months ago for shoplifting. According to the police reports, he was on his way to Vegas to look for his sister Carrie. She was about to start a job with a magician named Romeo, but the day before she was supposed to start, she called her brother, sounding scared and babbling about some doctor. That was the last he heard from her." said Garcia.

"Did the Reno police follow up?" asked Rossi.

"No, because there was no proof that Carrie was actually missing." said Garcia.

"Well, we know Marvin's enraged by people trying to leave. What if Carrie was the original trigger?" asked Morgan.

"That means she's probably dead." said JJ.

A few minutes later Rossi pulled the SUV over, and Spencer, Alex, and Rossi exited the SUV while they pointed their guns at Finn and Marvin.

"FBI! Drop your weapon!" shouted Rossi.

"Not until he tells me what he did to my sister." said Finn as he continued to point his gun at Marvin.

"You're mistaken, Finn. I never met her." said Marvin.

"Liar!" shouted Finn.

"Put the gun down!" shouted Alex.

"He told me to kill Sarah, too." said Finn.

"The boy's quite mad." said Marvin.

"Finn, let us go to Sarah. She needs our help. Will you let us do that?" asked Rossi.

Finn nodded, and Rossi inched his way to Sarah who was moving as Spencer pretended to hear an officer speak to him through his headset.

"Copy that." said Spencer before releasing his ear and looked at Finn, "The police just confirmed your sister's dead, Finn. I'm sorry."

Finn looked at Marvin.

"Because you killed her." said Finn.

"She was found in a crack den. She died of an overdose." said Spencer.

"No, no, no. He convinced her to do it. He's very persuasive." said Finn.

"It was in Phoenix, Finn. This man had nothing to do with it. You have the wrong guy." said Spencer.

"Put the gun down. There's no point to this." said Alex.

Finn lowered his gun to his side, and Alex went to Finn who handed her his gun as Spencer approached Marvin while their back up arrived.

"Thank God you showed up." said Marvin as he looked at Spencer.

"Marvin Caul, can I just that say I'm a huge fan. I saw you perform at the Lotus Inn back in 1977 when I was a little kid and I always wondered what happened to you." lied Spencer.

"Time. Time has not been kind." said Marvin.

"Here, let me give you a ride back to the station." said Spencer as he motioned for Marvin to follow him.

"Oh." said Marvin.

Spencer decided he need to get a confession.

"I can't imagine how hard it must have been for someone of your talent to stay hidden for so long. I mean, weren't you dying to get back out there?" asked Spencer.

"Of course. And I have a plan. I am going to book a stage at the Rio." said Marvin.

Spencer decided to become serious.

"So, that's what the money was for. You know, I have to say, it's absolutely brilliant. You found the perfect population to steal from and someone else to do your dirty work. I tip my hat to you." said Spencer.

Marvin laughed.

"I have no idea what you're saying." said Marvin.

Spencer placed a hand on Marvin's shoulder, causing both of them to stop walking.

"What I'm saying is that you're going to be charged with murder, and the first one will be Carrie's. I'm assuming you killed her because your ego got in the way when she left you to work for another magician. Am I right?" asked Spencer

Marvin tried to walk away, causing Spencer to step in front of him.

"Look, Marvin, there's no place to go. You're a very clever man and you know how to read a situation. Tell me where Carrie's body is and at least you'll get recognition for what you accomplished in the tunnels." said Spencer.

Marvin sighed.

"She's buried at the abandoned construction site." said Marvin when he realized that the young agent in front of him looked too young, "Did you really see me at the Lotus Inn?" asked Marvin.

"The truth?" asked Spencer.

"I can't abide lies." said Marvin.

"I wasn't even born yet." said Spencer as he led Marvin to an officer who was waiting for them.

* * *

Hotch looked at his teammates as they packed up.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning at 11." said Hotch before looking at Spencer, "I told Cruz that you wanted to spend some extra time with your aunt and uncle before we have to fly back, and he approved right away."

"When I talked to uncle Gordon on the way back here, he asked me if I could stay the night if we're staying an extra night." said Spencer.

"We can stop at the hotel to grab your bag before we go to Binions. Having you stay at your uncle's is better than having you stay in our hotel room since you can't enter casinos here." said Hotch.

At that moment Detective Ramirez came into the room and looked at Spencer.

"The next time you come out here to visit your family, would you mind giving this precinct a small presentation about profiling?" asked Ramirez.

"I don't mind at all, but that trip won't be happening until June." said Spencer.

Ramirez looked at the clock.

"With how late it is are you guys staying an extra night to enjoy the city or are you guys flying back to Virginia tonight to sleep in your own beds?" asked Ramirez.

"We're staying the night since my aunt, uncle, and I agreed to introduce my teammates to chicken fried lobster." said Spencer.

"From Binions?" asked Ramirez.

"Yes, and I haven't had chicken fried lobster since my father, wife, my three kids, and I came out here for Christmas." said Spencer.

"Then you guys better get going." said Ramirez.

A few minutes later everyone was leaving the station, and when they arrived at Binions they saw Spencer's aunt and uncle holding down a table and Spencer embraced his uncle.

After everyone decided to order chicken fried lobster, Gordon looked at Spencer's teammates.

"Did Spencer tell you guys that you're welcome to join us for breakfast in the morning?" asked Gordon.

"He did, and we accept the invitation." said Hotch.

Gordon looked at Ethel.

"You're welcome to sleep in the guest bedroom tonight so you can join us for breakfast in the morning." said Gordon.

"How many guest bedrooms do you have?" asked JJ.

Spencer looked at JJ.

"With the house having four bedrooms and two bathrooms there is one guest bedroom since both Andrew and I have our own bedrooms." said Spencer.

"Speaking of your bedroom, you're going to be due for a new mattress soon." said Gordon.

"How about I pick one out when I come out here in June, and knowing Olivia she's going to want to help pick it out." said Spencer.

After a few minutes of Gordon telling everyone stories about Spencer and Andrew as children, a waitress came over with their meals.

* * *

The next morning Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, JJ, and Alex got out of the loaned SUVs before looking around for Spencer as Gordon approached them.

"Welcome." said Gordon as he watched his nephew get his horse to jump over a log, causing the others to look in the direction that Gordon was looking in to see a man wearing jeans, a flannel shirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat.

"Is that Spence?" asked JJ.

"It is, and he has been on his horse for the past two hours since he wanted to get as much riding in as possible before you guys arrived." said Gordon as he reached for the nearby dinner bell that he used to use on Spencer and Andrew and rang it. A minute later Spencer rode up to his team.

"Morning guys." said Spencer as he pulled the reins to get Nikola to stop.

"That was an impressive jump you got the horse to do." said Morgan.

"Horseback riding lessons was something that I enjoyed doing when I was a kid since it didn't involve team sports." said Spencer.

"What's his name?" asked JJ.

"This is Nikola who is named after one of my favorite inventors Nikola Tesla, and uncle Gordon got me this horse after I graduated from the academy." said Spencer as he petted his horse.

Gordon looked at his nephew who was still on Nikola.

"Breakfast should be done in 20 minutes. So you got enough time to take Nikola to Joshua and get changed into your regular clothes." said uncle Gordon.

Spencer got Nikola to turn around and start galloping towards the stable where Joshua was waiting for him.

"When Spencer was a child it was always hard to get him and Andrew off their horses, and Nikola is like a therapy horse to him since whenever he visits he rides Nikola to vent out his frustrations about my sister's illness or about his job." said Gordon as he watched Joshua steady Nikola so Spencer could get off his horse.

"Have you ever thought of having Nikola transported to a stable near DC so Spencer could ride him as often as he wants?" asked Rossi.

"I told him when I introduced him to Nikola that Nikola would stay here so he knows that he's always welcome here when he's able to come out here to visit." said Gordon as he watched his nephew head towards the house, causing him to lead the others into the house where Ethel was cooking breakfast.

* * *

Later that afternoon Spencer was heading towards the bullpen with JJ.

"Even though you got to see both your aunt and uncle, I'm sorry you didn't get to see your mom." said JJ as they walked into the bullpen.

"It's OK. I guess now I know what a parent feels like when their kid grows up. Someone who's depended on you for so long and then suddenly they're off living their own life and they don't really need you anymore." said Spencer.

"Except she's the parent, and that's how it should be especially since Piper, Albert, and Ava are going to need you to guide them." said JJ as they approached Garcia who was holding a big box.

"Oh, hi. Welcome back. This came for you." said Garcia as she passed the box to Spencer.

Spencer took a look at the address.

"No return address?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah, and it's really heavy. So what's inside it?" asked Garcia while gaining a look from JJ, "Yes, that's me being nosy." said Garcia as she watched Spencer open up the box with a pocket knife that he pulled out of his messenger bag.

Spencer pulled out the first item and smiled when he recognized what it was.

"That looks like a pile of-." said Garcia before Spencer interrupted.

"Shale, limestone, and sandstone. It's a sculpture of the Grand Canyon from my mom." grinned Spencer as he noticed that his mom included gifts for his dad, Olivia, and the kids.

"See? She didn't forget you." said JJ as she noticed stuffed animals, books, and a necklace before Spencer started going through postcards.

"She said she was gonna mail the postcards, but then she decided to send the Grand Canyon instead." said Spencer as he decided to read a certain postcard, "Here, listen to this. "You many have to commit me twice, Spencer, "because not only did I ride a mule on a tiny trail "with a 1,000-foot vertical drop, "I paid for the privilege. Now, that's crazy." Can you imagine my mom on a mule?"

"No." said JJ as she thought about when she saw Spencer on his horse earlier in the day.

"It's like Hotch at the beach." said Spencer and gained some laughter before he continued to read the postcards, ""The mules must do this all the time, because they seem very…" read Spencer as he continued reading the postcards.

Garcia looked at Spencer after he was finished reading.

"I really liked your mom when I met her over seven years ago." said Garcia.

"And being a father helped give me a reason why I should visit my mom more since she has the right to get to know her grandchildren." said Spencer.

"With her doing great on her new medication, have you considered moving her out here?" asked Garcia.

"Moving my mom to another environment wouldn't be helpful for her health since she would have to get used to it, but my mom doesn't have a problem coming out here with my aunt and uncle since it's hectic to bring a toddler and two babies on a plane." said Spencer.

"Aren't you going out to Vegas after Piper's second birthday?" asked Garcia.

"It's been planned that dad, Olivia, the kids, and I are going to Vegas during that time since Olivia convinced me to go to my 20 year high school reunion, but we're planning on driving out there so we don't have to rent a vehicle." said Spencer.

Spencer's cellphone rang, and he before he could check the caller ID he answered it.

"Dr. Reid." answered Spencer.

"Hello Spencer." said Diana.

Spencer grinned.

"Hey mom." said Spencer.

JJ and Garcia decided to give him some privacy.

"Did you get that package?" asked Diana.

"Just got it 15 minutes ago since I just got back from a case, and I can't wait to show Olivia and the kids what you got for them." said Spencer as he looked at the sculpture.

"Where did you go?" asked Diana.

"Home to Las Vegas and I was planning on taking you, uncle Gordon, and aunt Ethel to Binions." said Spencer.

"I'm so sorry baby." said Diana.

"It's OK mom since this trip was good for you, but I was able to spend some time with aunt Ethel and uncle Gordon." said Spencer.

"I'm glad that you made sure to visit with your aunt and uncle." said Diana.

"Well mom I have to get going so I can get some paperwork done before I go home to Olivia and the kids in time for dinner." said Spencer.

"Please give my grandchildren a hug and kiss telling them it's from me." said Diana as she made a kissing noise over the phone.

"Love you mom." said Spencer.

"Love you too, Spencer." said Diana before hanging up.


	20. Rabid Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to southernbeauty13 for being the 75th reviewer of this story and also a shout out to OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 19._

 _I'm so happy that Criminal Minds has been renewed for another season._

 _I have it that with how many miles Spencer and Olivia like to run together, Olivia insisted that Spencer wears a flexible knee brace over his bad knee when they go running._

 _I decided to have Rabid be in two parts due to the prank that Morgan pulled on Spencer and Garcia, so Spencer and Garcia are going to be pulling revenge on Morgan in the next chapter._

* * *

Spencer was heading towards the elevators when Garcia approached him.

"Reid?" asked Garcia.

"Yes?" asked Spencer.

"I know that you're leaving to head home to your cutie pies, but do you think we can train together for our upcoming fitness test that's happening at the end of this week?" asked Garcia.

"Sure, and how about 6:30 tomorrow morning so we can watch the sunrise while we go running." said Spencer.

"That time will work, and I will bring you some breakfast when I pick you up. Now go home to those little cutie pies of yours." said Garcia.

Spencer nodded as he entered the elevator.

* * *

The following morning at 5:30 Spencer was pulling on his workout clothes when Olivia exited the bathroom and looked at her husband.

"Going to squeeze in a workout before going to work?" asked Olivia.

"Garcia asked me if we could train for the upcoming fit test together, and she's picking me up so we can get to the track on base around 6:30." said Spencer.

"Nervous about the upcoming fast mile that you have to run?" asked Olivia.

"I doubt that the bureau would terminate me if I can't complete the mile within a certain amount of time since getting terminated from the FBI means that other government agencies would get the golden opportunity to hire me because I have been on everyone's wish list since I earned my first PhD." joked Spencer.

"Except you still get approached today, and you decide to tell whoever wants to hire you no." said Olivia.

"As of right now, I'm happy with where I am in my career. But when the kids get older and are in school I might rethink my career." said Spencer.

Spencer's phone vibrated.

ON MY WAY RIGHT NOW, AND I'M BRING YOU THAT PROMISED BREAKFAST. ~ PG

"Well I need to get going since Garcia's on her way to pick me up and she's bringing breakfast." said Spencer.

"Have a great day at work, and call me if you have a case." said Olivia as she watched her husband grab everything he needs.

* * *

Spencer looked up at Garcia after he finished putting on his knee brace over his sweat pants.

"I'm going to do a solo mile to show you how fast you will need to run a fast mile, and then after I drink some water we will run a mile together." said Spencer.

"When you go running, how many miles do you and Olivia like to run?" asked Garcia.

"Olivia and I both like to push four miles with or without the kids." said Spencer.

"Isn't four miles a bit bad for your knee?" asked Garcia as she looked at the knee that was shot over four years ago that was now sporting a flexible knee brace.

"That's why I spent two minutes putting on this knee brace since Olivia was the one to get it for me. It has been over four years since my shooting, but there are times that my knee occasionally acts up so this brace helps reduce the amount of pain I would be in later." said Spencer.

Garcia looked at the time on her phone, realizing that they should really get started.

"How about you do that solo mile now." said Garcia.

Spencer got onto the track and nodded at Garcia when he was ready.

"Go." said Garcia as she started the stopwatch on her phone.

Spencer started running and after he finished the required amount of laps, he motioned Garcia to stop the stopwatch on her phone.

"How long did I take?" asked Spencer as he made his way over to Garcia, grabbed his water bottle and took some sips.

"You completed the mile in six and a half minutes, and that's a passing score." said Garcia as she noticed how sweaty Spencer was and noticed Spencer's sweat soaked t-shirt clinging to his torso showing off the six pack that developed since Spencer started working out more during his sabbatical, "No wonder Olivia's been frequently told to control her hormones when she sees you all sweaty."

Spencer's face turned beet red as Garcia cackled with laughter, and when his face returned to normal color he looked at Garcia who smirked at him.

"Even though your confidence has grown since Olivia entered your life, I'm glad that you're the same Spencer Reid who will still blush." said Garcia.

Spencer blushed again, and as soon as his face returned to normal color he looked at Garcia.

"Now let's run together and I will run at your pace." said Spencer.

A minute later Spencer and Garcia started running laps on the track, and when they were finished Spencer took a few deep breaths as Garcia checked her phone.

"Oy. 8:49. Good God, that's not even close. Why does it have to be such a fast mile? Have you ever even had to run a mile in the field?" asked a panting Garcia as she noticed that Spencer wasn't as winded as she was.

"No." said Spencer.

"I'm not even in the field. I sit at a computer on my perfect posterior, like all day." said Garcia as she did some stretching.

"You can always ask Olivia for advice. When I started dating her we went on daily runs, and she gave me advice." said Spencer.

"Asking Olivia is better than Morgan. But it's bad enough some bureaucrat is making us take this stupid test. The last thing we need is Mr. Universe talking smack the whole time." said Garcia.

"When I work out with Hotch and Olivia, they don't talk smack like Morgan does when he drags me to the gym to spar." said Spencer as he worked on some stretching.

"Yes, but he takes it way too seriously. I worked out with him once." said Garcia.

"You work out? That's cool." said Spencer.

"Yeah." said Garcia.

"I love it when Livy and I will load up the kids in their jogging strollers when we go on family runs, and if you want to hear your godchildren laugh you should join us sometime." said Spencer.

"I think I will. In a non-traditional manner and never again with him. He was all, "there you go, baby girl. Move it or lose it. "This ain't your high-tech room. My grandmama can move better than that."" said Garcia as she tried to mimic Morgan.

"He can be enthusiastic at times." said Spencer as he continued to stretch.

"That's a way of saying it." said Garcia as they decided to run a few more laps.

"Let's do it." said Spencer and he was about to start running again when Garcia got a text message from Hotch alerting them about a case.

"Hallelujah." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at Garcia.

"What? We have a case?" asked Spencer as he realized that he wouldn't be going home to his family.

"Yep." said Garcia as she noticed the sad look on Spencer's face, "Race you to the bleachers." shouted Garcia as she headed towards the bleachers.

* * *

Spencer was pulling on his suit jacket as he left the locker room as Hotch was walking by.

"Morning Hotch." said Spencer.

Hotch noticed that Spencer's hair was still a bit damp.

"Took a shower here?" asked Hotch.

"Garcia and I have our fit test for the same day, and she asked if she could train with me since running is one of my favorite ways to work out." said Spencer.

"So you left home earlier?" asked Hotch.

"Yes, and I got two miles in since I did the first one solo while we did the second one together before we got the text." said Spencer.

"How long did the first mile take you?" asked Hotch.

"Six and a half minutes." said Spencer.

"Passing score." said Hotch.

"When I did the second mile, it took Garcia and I eight minutes and forty-nine seconds since I decided to go slower for her." said Spencer as they entered the bullpen where they headed straight to the coffee maker.

* * *

Spencer was sitting at the round table when he heard Garcia's voice.

"I'm ready, sir." said Garcia as she and Morgan entered the room.

"All right, let's get started." said Hotch.

"Oh, great." said an exhaling Garcia as she sat down, "Ok. So, this morning, a Wisconsin park ranger discovered 3 partially buried bodies in a forest preserve just outside Milwaukee." said Garcia.

"Two male and one female. He doesn't appear to have a gender preference." said Alex.

"Decomposed. They weren't all killed at the same time." said Rossi.

"And that is why I call you eagle eye. Preliminary M. E. reports they'd each been killed about a month apart. The most recent victim, Susan Clark, has been dead approximately two weeks." said Garcia.

"28-year-old exotic dancer and prostitute." said JJ.

"High-risk lifestyle. What about the other two?" asked Alex.

"I haven't I. D.'d them yet." said Garcia.

"Cause of death?" asked Alex.

"Still working on that, too." said Garcia.

"Looks like they were all covered in bite marks." said Morgan.

"From the unsub?" asked JJ.

"Probably from critters out in the woods." said Rossi.

"He murdered them months apart but buried them all in the exact same spot, so the disposal site's obviously important to him." said Spencer.

"Susan Clark was reported missing 6 weeks ago. There were long-term ligature marks on her wrists and ankles." said Hotch.

"He holds them captive before he kills them." said Rossi.

"But what exactly is he holding them for?" asked Alex.

"That's what we need to find out. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch.

As Spencer was heading to his desk he called Olivia.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Milwaukee, Wisconsin." said Spencer.

"Better stay away from dairy." joked Olivia.

Spencer laughed.

"Don't worry. I have my antacids with me." said Spencer.

Olivia turned her phone on speaker.

"You're now on speaker. Piper wants to talk to you since dad is changing Albert's and Ava's diapers at the moment." said Olivia.

"Good morning Piper." said Spencer.

"Good orning daddy." said Piper.

"Sorry that I wasn't there when you woke up, Goober." said Spencer.

"Mommy ade anakes wit ananas." said Piper.

"Were the banana pancakes good?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

"And Piper got maple syrup all over her face." said Olivia as she used a wipe to clean Piper's face and hands.

"Well daddy has to go away for a few days, so I want you to be a good girl for mommy and grandpa." said Spencer.

"OK daddy." said Piper.

"Well I have to get going, and I will call you to say goodnight." said Spencer.

"Love you daddy." said Piper.

"Love you too Piper." said Spencer.

"What about me?" asked Olivia.

"I love you Olivia, and please give the kids a kiss from me and I will give you one when I get home." said Spencer.

"Please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I promise." said Spencer before saying goodbye to Olivia and hung up.

* * *

"My friends in an airplane, don't say I'm not a giver. I have I. D.'d the first two victims. Coming to your tablets now. First up, Milwaukee resident Melvin Lewis 50-year-old divorcee and truck driver. Next we have Rudy Hightower, a 32-year-old homeless Iraq war veteran." said Garcia.

"Two Caucasians and an African-American. This guy doesn't have a racial preference either." said Morgan.

"There's still no connection between the victims." said JJ.

"Maybe there is no connection. They could be targets of opportunity." said Rossi.

"And that means it's not about who he kills, it's about how he kills them." said Spencer.

"Or what he does before or after he kills them." said Alex.

"Garcia, they determine the cause of death yet?" asked Hotch.

"Negative." said Garcia.

"Each one of them was single and lived alone. Maybe he keyed in on that, knowing that they wouldn't be reported missing." said Morgan.

"Well, he'd have to stalk them long enough to know that." said JJ.

"Dave, you and Reid go to the coroner's office, Blake and I will coordinate with local P. D., and, JJ, I want you and Morgan at the disposal site." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was looking at one of the bodies when Doctor Weinstein wheeled another body into the room.

"Sorry about the wait. We were collecting tissue and organ samples to send to the lab. Here's my report." said Dr. Weinstein as he handed Spencer the report.

"You able to determine the cause of death?" asked Rossi as he watched Spencer read the report.

"Cardiac arrest, all 3 of them. What caused their hearts to stop?" asked Spencer.

"That's why we're sending the organ samples." said Dr. Weinstein.

"Tox reports?" asked Rossi.

"All negative." said Dr. Weinstein.

"Any sign of sexual assault?" asked Spencer.

"Inconclusive. They're too decomposed." said Dr. Weinstein.

"What about the bite marks?" asked Rossi as he looked at the bite marks.

"Yeah. About 90% of them are postmortem, from animals out in the woods- a coyote, fox, maybe, or a raccoon." said Dr. Weinstein.

"And the other 10%?" asked Rossi.

"That's where it gets weird. They all had antemortem bites, too. The first victim, Melvin Lewis, his were animal bites, but the others-" said Dr. Weinstein before Spencer spoke up.

"They were bitten by a human." said Spencer.

"Pretty viciously, too. Some of the wounds are deep. Chunks of flesh are missing. We found several." said Dr. Weinstein.

"Total of 11?" asked Spencer as he continued to read the report.

"You read fast." said a surprised Dr. Weinstein.

"Were you able to obtain DNA samples from any of the bites?" asked Spencer.

"No." said Dr. Weinstein.

"It could be a form of torture, maybe a biting fetish." said Rossi.

"Didn't know there was such a thing." said Dr. Weinstein.

"Oh, you'd be surprised." said Rossi.

"We should also consider cannibalism. When you get a moment, would you mind taking some bite molds for us?" asked Spencer.

"Maybe that's why he holds them captive first. If he's feeding on them, I'd lay odds he's already got his next victim." said Rossi.

"Considering the specificity of the M. O., the body count, and the timeline, I'd say those odds are actually pretty good." said Spencer as he leaned forward to take a better look at the bite marks.

* * *

Spencer was working on his geographical profile as he worked on flexing his bad knee.

"You OK?" asked Hotch.

"My bad knee is just acting up a bit, and I'm doing the stretches that I learned during psychical therapy over four years ago." said Spencer.

"Were you wearing your brace while you went running this morning?" asked Hotch as he thought back to Spencer explaining about the knee brace.

"I was." said Spencer as he marked another plot on the map and continued to stretch, causing Hotch to quietly watch while hiding his amusement since he knew that Spencer's trying to make sure that Morgan doesn't know about his upcoming fit test, "Oh, yeah." said Spencer as Morgan came into the room.

"What's with you? You OK?" asked Morgan as he recalled that the knee that Spencer was stretching was the one that got shot over four years ago and would occasionally act up from time to time.

"Yeah, I'm great. I'm just doing some stretching because it helps me keep my brain limber. I've also been doing some geo-profiling. The red markers indicate where the victims lived, except, of course, Rudy Hightower, who was homeless. The blue markers indicate where they were last seen alive. And this is the disposal site." said Spencer.

"So that's his hunting zone." said Morgan.

"Which means he probably lives close by." said Hotch.

JJ came into the room with come coffee.

"Ok, so something's not adding up for me here. Here you go." said JJ as she passed coffee to Morgan.

"Thanks." said Morgan.

Spencer accepted his coffee.

"If we are dealing with a cannibal, why does he dispose of the bodies? Why not keep them?" asked JJ.

"Well, it's not easy to keep a body fresh. Maybe he doesn't have the resources." said Morgan.

"Maybe he doesn't require large portions of flesh to satiate his urges. Most ritual cannibalism involves the consumption of particular organs as a means to commune with the deceased." said Spencer.

"But none of the victims were missing any organs." said JJ.

"Which means it's probably not about the ritual but about the compulsion." said Hotch.

"I don't know. He grabs them, he holds them captive, and then he buries them all in the exact same spot." said Morgan.

"And how do we explain the first victim, Melvin Lewis? He didn't have any human bite marks." said Spencer.

* * *

Morgan's cellphone rang.

"What you got, sweetness?" asked Morgan.

"Mama's hands are dirty 'cause she's been digging. I got the 4-1-1 on our first victim, Melvin Lewis. Originally from the Malibu of the Midwest, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Melvin moved to Milwaukee 12 years ago when wifey ran away with his best friend." said Garcia.

"Ouch." said Rossi.

"Yeah. Luckily they had no kids. No criminal record. Like super squeaky clean. Not even a parking ticket. He joined Facebook a year ago. He has a whopping 6 friends, all from work." said Garcia.

"He drives a truck, right?" asked Morgan.

"Yeah. A milk truck, to be exact. But only did that for a month. Before, he worked for 10 years at an animal control center, but he was laid off due to budget cuts." said Garcia.

Spencer's brain started racing.

"What exactly did he do, Garcia?" asked Spencer.

"He was a dogcatcher. But like a S.W.A.T. team of dogcatchers. He specialized in dangerous and trapped animals, including but not limited to skunks, a raccoon, and one time a giant python." said Garcia.

"All right, thanks, babe." said Morgan before hanging up.

"That could be it." said Spencer.

"What, the python?" asked Rossi.

"No, bite marks. Of course. That could be how he was doing it. That's why it was undetectable. Brain tissue, we need to look at brain tissue-" rambled Spencer.

"OK, Reid-." said Morgan.

"Sorry. I don't think this is a biting fetish or cannibalism. I think it's a virus, and the biting is merely a means of transmission." said Spencer.

"What kind of virus?" asked Morgan.

"There are several possibilities. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, tick-borne encephalitis, but the most likely culprit is rabies, and that wouldn't show up in an autopsy except in brain tissue." said Spencer as he thought about two year old Einstein.

"So since Lewis was the only victim not bitten by a human, the unsub must have used an animal to infect him first." said Rossi as he realized that Spencer could be right.

"And after that, he somehow facilitated human to human transmission." said Spencer.

"That would explain the random victimology. It doesn't matter who he infects. All he needs is a host." said Morgan.

"Which also means the holding period isn't about torture, it's about incubation." said Spencer.

"I was attacked by a rabid fox once." said Rossi as he saw Spencer raise his eyebrows, "Shot the thing 3 times before it went down. Freakin' terrifying. It was like a horror movie."

"Yikes. We need to have the M. E. test for rabies vectors in the brain samples." said Spencer.

"And then we need to deliver the profile." said Morgan as they headed to the others.

* * *

"Based on the demographics of the area, we believe that we're looking for a Caucasian male in his mid-20s to late 30s." said Hotch.

"We just received confirmation from the coroner's office that each of the victims died from rabies." said Spencer.

"Two of the victims sustained significant human bite wounds, and dental records confirm that those bite wounds came from other victims." said Morgan.

"Which means that somehow or another, he's facilitating biting attacks." said Rossi.

"We think he's a sadist who gets off on watching the attacks." said JJ.

"He may record them so he can relive the event over and over again." said Alex.

"Rabies has been around since the beginning of documented history. It has the highest case to mortality rate in existence and is arguably the deadliest disease known to man." said Spencer.

"It's derived from a sanskrit word meaning "to do violence." Carriers literally go stark raving mad." said Alex.

Uh, I thought there's a vaccine for it." said Officer Kowalski.

"There is, but the post-exposure prophylaxis is only effective if administered within 24 hours of infection. Once the symptoms appear, the prognosis is death." said Spencer.

"It's also contagious, so it's at great risk to himself that he's chosen this method to kill." said Alex.

"Which means it holds special significance to him. He may have lost a pet or even a relative to the virus." said Hotch.

"It is not easy to obtain a sample of the virus. We think he most likely started with an animal." said Spencer.

"So he may have worked at a veterinary clinic, maybe a pest control company." said JJ.

"What he's doing takes deliberation and patience and is rooted in a need-based desire, so he's not going to stop on his own. Thank you." said Hotch.


	21. Rabid Part 2

Disclaimer: I do now own Criminal Minds.

A/N: Shout out to tannerose5 and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 20.

 _Let's just say that the injuries that Spencer received in Rabid are a bit different since Spencer was wearing his glasses during the scuffle between him and David Cunningham so he will just have some bruises on his eyebrow instead of the cut since his glasses kept David from punching that area._

 _One of the Wisconsin towns that mentioned in this chapter, is the Wisconsin town that I reside in so that's one of the few reasons why Rabid is one of my favorite episodes._

* * *

Morgan placed a photo on the clear board while Spencer was doing some math in one of his black pocket books.

"Chris Blythewood, 21-year-old college student, and Liz Foley, 42-year-old stay at home mom. The only two people reported missing for the last month within a 10-mile radius of the hunting zone." said Morgan

"Pretty good chance the unsub's holding at least one of them." said Rossi as JJ approached them.

"So I went through the list of vet offices and animal control employees, and nada. Everybody's clean." said JJ as she sat down

"Guys, I've been doing some math. Based on the estimated time of death and when the victims were last seen alive, it appears as though the first victim, Melvin Lewis, was held for a couple of months. The second victim, Rudy Hightower, for one month, the third victim, Susan Clark, for only a couple of weeks." said Spencer, pointing at each victim as he talked.

"Why is he taking progressively less time with these victims?" asked Morgan.

"He's getting more efficient?" asked Hotch.

"He may have found a way to shorten the incubation period." said Spencer.

"And how would he do that?" asked JJ.

"Rabies attacks the nervous system. It travels a few millimeters a day until it reaches the brain. But if you were to infect the area around the head or the neck, the distance would be shortened. He may be some kind of symphoraphiliac." said Spencer.

"And instead of setting a fire or causing an accident and watching the ensuing mayhem, he just wants to watch them die." said Hotch.

"A rabies death is apparently quite the spectacle. There are convulsions, spasms, then the madness sets in, along with uncontrollable salivation, which accounts for the foaming at the mouth we all associate with the disease." said Spencer.

"That sounds terrible." said JJ.

"It is. And one of the cruelest ironies of all is the extreme dehydration caused by hydrophobia. Victims have a visceral fear response to liquid of any sort. Add to that confusion, hallucinations, and you can probably imagine the horror." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was eating with his teammates when Garcia called.

"Give it to me, Dollface." said Morgan.

"Do you know that over 50,000 people die of rabies every year in third-world countries? Thank God for monsieur Pasteur, otherwise we'd all be dead. Ok, so I looked into every known case of rabies exposure in the country over the last 20 years." said Garcia.

"Did you find anything?" asked Morgan as he took a sip of his soda.

"Cool your jets, hot chocolate. I will let you know if I've got something. So I've got something. 15 years ago, in a town called Two Rivers, Wisconsin, a 9-year-old, Hunter Cunningham, was admitted to the hospital with severe flu-like symptoms. Symptoms get worse, he develops hydrophobia. Turns out that 3 weeks prior, he was bitten by a bat when he was out camping with his family." said Garcia.

"Two Rivers is less than a 2-hour drive from here, and it's even closer to the disposal site." said Spencer.

"A bat. That's odd." said JJ.

"Actually, bats make up 12% of Wisconsin's mammalian population, and they're responsible for the majority of the infections in the U. S." said Spencer.

"Baby girl, what's so special about this Hunter Cunningham kid?" asked Morgan.

"Here's what's special. A week after he was admitted to the hospital, he checked out of the hospital. But I can't find a death certificate. It's like he disappeared." said Garcia.

"What about his family?" asked Morgan.

"Uh, his father Patrick died 6 years ago of a massive heart attack. And mom, Wanda, works as a bartender at the Tropicana hotel in Vegas." said Garcia.

"Any siblings?" asked JJ.

"Yes, affirmative. He has one older brother, David Wade Cunningham, 28-year-old resident of Milwaukee." said Garcia.

"And what's his deal?" asked Morgan.

"His deal is... Ay, chihuahua. He works at Nassee Pest Control, which specializes in dangerous animal removal, and you don't even have to ask me, home and work address sent—bam!" said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer entered David's house with Morgan and JJ.

"It's clear here." said Morgan.

"Clear." said Spencer as he approached his two teammates.

"Clear." said JJ.

"He's not here." said Spencer as he approached Morgan.

"I think it's safe to say this guy's single and not in a relationship." said JJ as Spencer started looking at the books.

"Guys, look at this." said Spencer as he showed JJ and Morgan a book about rabies.

"I don't know, you think we got the right guy?" asked Morgan.

* * *

A few hours later when it was daylight, Spencer opened a closet and pulled out what he would see at the animal shelter when Morgan approached him.

"All right, thanks, baby girl. This Cunningham guy got fired from his last two pest control jobs." said Morgan.

"Probably for stealing equipment." said Spencer as he held up a small cage.

"You know, I bet that's how he acquired his first sample of the rabies virus, on his job." said Morgan.

"The acquisition of the virus may have been the trigger itself. It's worth mentioning, the only known rabies survival story that didn't involve the vaccine happened right here in Milwaukee. A 15-year-old girl survived the virus when doctors put her in a medically induced coma." said Spencer.

"You think it's connected to this?" asked Morgan.

"Based on the sheer proximity, it's possible, but given the lengths to which the unsub goes to infect his victims, I think it's unlikely." said Spencer as JJ approached them with a small box that contained pictures and recordings.

"Hey, look what I found. It was hidden really well in his closet. He did not want anyone finding it and I think I know why." said JJ as she started to play a recording.

"Please! Let me go! I feel sick. I really gotta go to the bathroom! I gotta go!" shouted Hunter.

"Hunter, look at me. Buddy, it's gonna be OK. David, what are you doing in here? Get out of here! Turn that damn thing off." shouted Mr. Cunningham.

"1999? that was the year his brother Hunter got rabies." said Morgan.

"By the time they got him to the hospital, there was nothing the doctors could do. It's possible the parents brought him home to die instead." said Spencer.

"And then his big brother David recorded the whole thing." said JJ.

"He was 12 at the time. That's an impressionable age for a single event imprint." said Morgan.

"It clearly unlocked some sort of psychopathic fascination that he's still trying to satisfy." said Spencer.

JJ looked at Spencer.

"I can't imagine watching my own son die or your kids die, let alone from rabies." said JJ.

"It almost makes you consider euthanasia." said Spencer as he saw JJ look at him making him realize if he put his foot in his mouth, "I'm not saying I would advocate euthanizing Henry or me having to euthanize my kids or anything. I'm just-." said Spencer

"No, Spence, that's it. That's why Garcia couldn't find a death certificate for Hunter Cunningham." said JJ.

"Because his parents must have done it. They couldn't bear to watch, so they put him out of his misery." said Morgan as JJ looked the pictures.

"It was bad enough watching Piper be in pain when she was in the hospital for Kawasaki Disease." said Spencer.

"I know, Spence." said JJ as she rested a hand on Spencer's arm.

* * *

Morgan was speeding Spencer and JJ to the address that Hotch gave them.

"Got it, Hotch. Marshall and East Lyon." said Morgan.

"We're on our way." said Hotch.

"Hang on, guys." said Morgan as he turned.

A few minutes later Morgan was driving slowly near a park as they tried to find woman they were called about.

"I'm gonna circle around the block." said Morgan.

JJ saw someone in a park.

"Wait. There." said JJ.

Spencer realized they found the woman.

"I think that's Liz Foley from the missing persons report." said Spencer.

Morgan pulled over, and a few seconds later Spencer, JJ, and Morgan were running towards Liz.

"No, no, no." said Liz as children and adults screamed.

"There's too many people." said JJ.

"Move everybody out while I get her attention." said Morgan.

JJ started moving people away as Spencer and Morgan moved closer to Liz.

"FBI! Come on, we need to clear everyone out. Let's go! Let's go." said JJ.

"Liz Foley! I need you to stop right there." said Morgan.

Liz started coming towards them.

"Ma'am, I need you to stay back." said Morgan as he and Spencer pulled out their guns.

"You don't tell me what to do, I tell you what to do!" shouted Liz.

"Ma'am, I said stop now! You need to listen to me. Stop right now!" shouted Morgan.

"I tell you-" said Liz right as Morgan had to shoot her in the thigh, causing her to wail.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan were standing by Liz who was being given oxygen by paramedics.

"Her family's been notified. They're gonna meet her at the hospital." said Spencer.

"There's nothing they can do for her, huh?" asked Morgan.

"Comfort measures, but that's about it." said Spencer as he and Morgan headed towards the others.

"Thanks, officer. We can't be far from where he's holding them hostage. She was on foot." said Rossi.

"But in her state, how in God's name did she escape?" asked Alex.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Reid, where are we in relation to his hunting ground?" asked Hotch.

"Right in the middle of it." said Spencer.

Hotch called Garcia.

"At your service, sir." answered Garcia.

"Garcia, we're trying to figure out what kind of building or property the unsub might be using. What do you see in a 5-mile radius of our current position?" asked Hotch.

"A lot of stuff. What am I looking for?" asked Garcia.

"Anything relatively isolated or industrial." said Rossi.

"Uh, it's mostly residential, single-family homes, apartment buildings, stuff like that." said Garcia.

"What about abandoned properties?" asked Hotch.

"Not per se, but people don't usually give notice when they do that. Let me see if there's any condemned. No, nothing." said Garcia.

"What about properties for sale?" asked Morgan.

"Let's see, 1, 2, 6 homes for sale. All of them occupied. An apartment building for sale, also occupied. It looks like the city is selling some land." said Garcia.

"What's there?" asked Rossi.

"Uh, hold yourself. It is a... Hello. It's an animal shelter, but it's shut down due to budget cuts." said Garcia.

"That's could be it, Garcia. Send the address." said Morgan.

"Done and done. Please be careful." said Garcia as she thought about Hotch, JJ, and Spencer all having young children to go home to.

* * *

Spencer stood outside the abandoned animal shelter with his teammates as he mentally prepared himself for the raid he's about to participate in.

"All right. S.W.A.T.'s still 5 minutes out." said Morgan.

"All right, we can't wait. We'll go in in two groups. We'll go in this door, you guys take the west door down the alley. Let's go." said Hotch.

Spencer went with JJ and Morgan, and a few minutes later he was clearing rooms, and when they heard screaming they ran in the direction of the screaming where they saw David.

"David Wade Cunningham, FBI!" shouted Morgan causing David to run off and he fired a few shots at a fleeing David as JJ went to Russell, "JJ, you got him?"

"Go!" shouted JJ.

Spencer ran with Morgan in the direction David went and Spencer kicked a door open to check on a room. As soon as Spencer heard Morgan scream in pain, he quickly entered the room and pointed his gun at David while trying to line up a shot and couldn't shoot David since David kept getting Morgan in his line of shot. As soon as David was shocking Morgan with a taser that was used on dogs, he decided to holster his gun and tackle David to the ground. After David punched Spencer, Morgan got up and grabbed something to hit David over the head with allowing Spencer to get up and point his gun at David while putting a foot on David's back to keep him down.

"Nice tackle, kid." said Morgan.

"Thanks. All this working out to reduce my migraines paid off." said Spencer as Morgan handcuffed David.

A few minutes later Spencer was looking over his glasses as Hotch looked at Spencer and Morgan.

"Your glasses helped save you from further injury to your head, but I can tell that a bruise is forming." said Hotch.

"At least I have my spare pair of glasses in my messenger bag that I can wear until these get fixed." said Spencer.

"With the tackle Morgan described, I just want you to make sure that you didn't develop a concussion and make sure your knee is OK. So you two are going to the hospital to get checked out before we go home." said Hotch.

Spencer sighed, knowing that if he didn't follow Hotch's orders to get checked out, he would call Olivia and have her convince him to go.

* * *

As soon as Spencer left the exam room, he called Olivia.

"Are you on your way home?" asked Olivia.

"Yes, and please don't freak out when I get home." said Spencer.

"What happened?" asked Olivia.

"I got punched in the face by the unsub so I have a few bruises." said Spencer.

"I'm planning on picking you up at the office." said Olivia.

Spencer saw Morgan signing some papers.

"I have to go, and I will see you when I get home." said Spencer before hanging up.

Morgan came over to Spencer and saw a slight bruise on Spencer's eyebrow and on his cheek.

"Pretty boy. I hope they didn't mess up that face too bad. You know that's your best asset." said Morgan as he knew that Spencer's glasses prevented him from getting a cut on his eyebrow.

"Luckily I just got some bruises, my glasses protected my eyes and eyebrow even though the lenses didn't survive the fight. How are you doing?" asked Spencer.

"I just got a couple burns, but I'll be all right." said Morgan as JJ approached them.

"Found another body at the disposal site." said JJ.

"Hunter Cunningham?" asked Spencer.

"Well, we're still awaiting DNA confirmation, but they're the skeletal remains of a 9-year-old boy, So..." said JJ.

"It's gotta be him." said Morgan.

"You guys ready to get out of here?" asked JJ.

"Yes, please. I can't stand hospitals. It's something about the lighting." said Spencer.

Morgan looked over to where Rossi was talking to some people.

"Who's Rossi talking to?" asked Morgan.

"The Foley family. She slipped into a coma." said JJ.

Spencer looked over to the area where Liz was laying in bed.

"It won't be long now." said Spencer as he saw the emotion that Mr. Foley and his kids were showing at the realization that Liz wasn't going to make it.

At that moment a nurse came over with Russel who was in a wheelchair.

"Excuse me, agents? Um, the doctors, they said that I'm gonna be OK. And I... I just-I don't know how to thank you guys." stuttered Russel as he looked at the three agents.

"No, there's no need." said Morgan.

"Just get better." said JJ.

"Ok." said Russel as he shook hands with Morgan and JJ before waving at Spencer who waved back before he was wheeled away.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Talked to Olivia?" asked Morgan.

"She's planning on picking me up from the office." said Spencer.

"Well let's get going." said JJ.

* * *

Spencer lightly shook his head when he saw Olivia talking to Garcia in the bullpen.

"Livy." said Spencer.

Olivia rushed over to her husband and took note of the bruises on his face.

"I thought that you promised me you would stay safe." said Olivia.

"I couldn't find a line of fire so I had to tackle the unsub who was tasing Morgan, and the doctor that checked me over said that my glasses helped prevent from me from getting a cut on my eyebrow from the punch." said Spencer.

"Well I'm glad you're OK Spencer, and as soon as we get home you're putting some ice on that bruise." said Olivia.

Spencer grabbed his broken glasses from his messenger bag.

"I will need to take my glasses to the eye doctor so the lenses can be replaced, so for now I will be wearing these." said Spencer.

Olivia looked over her husband's glasses and noticed the crack on its lenses.

"It's a good thing you have a spare pair to wear, and I will take them in tomorrow." said Olivia as she slipped the glasses into her purse.

Hotch looked at Olivia.

"You can take your husband home." said Hotch.

Olivia grabbed her husband's bags before taking hold of his hand and leading him to the elevators.

* * *

Piper ran to her daddy, and Spencer scooped her into his arms right away.

"I missed you Piper." said Spencer as he hugged and kissed his oldest daughter.

Piper looked at her daddy's face right away and noticed a bruise.

"You got a boo boo daddy?" asked Piper.

"The bad guy got me." said Spencer.

Piper kissed the bruise on her daddy's cheek.

"All etter now." said Piper.

"Thank you Piper, your kisses always makes me feel better." said Spencer as he set Piper down on the floor so he could scoop up Albert and Ava, "Daddy missed you two too."

Albert and Ava started babbling while saying the words that they knew.

"I decided to order pizza, and it will be here in 20 minutes." said William.

* * *

A day later Spencer and Garcia were in the same field they were training at waiting for Agent Watkins.

"I appreciate the advice Olivia gave me while you were in Milwaukee." said Garcia as she and Spencer stretched.

"I don't think they would terminate us if we couldn't run fast enough. The FBI knows that I'm on everyone's wish list and it would be their loss and somebody else's gain if they terminated me if I couldn't pass this test. And it would be the FBI's loss if they lost you to another agency like the NSA." said Spencer

Garcia laughed.

"That's true. Probably something worse. They'll probably make us take another fit test." said Garcia.

"I'd rather be terminated." joked Spencer.

"I just hope the P.T. Instructor isn't a jerk. Those jock guys are always such jerks." said Garcia.

Spencer quickly thought back to high school.

"Yeah, total jerks." said Spencer before seeing a hooded figure coming towards them, "That's probably him right now."

"Oh, look. He's totally walking like a jerk." whispered Garcia.

"Yeah, it's a total jerk walk." whispered Spencer.

"Total jerk walk." whispered Garcia as Spencer squinted as he recognized a familiar face.

"Wait a minute. Wait, I think it's Morgan." said Spencer as he realized that he was right, "Yeah."

"Oh, my God, it is. Why are you here?" asked Garcia as Morgan approached them.

"It looks like I'm your new P.T. instructor. Watkins got sick, so today's your lucky day. I'm your guy." said Morgan.

"Awesome. That's awesome." said Garcia as Morgan removed his hood.

"Guys, guys, come on. Seriously, you should have just said something. This whole fit test thing is just a formality. I could've got the whole thing waived." said Morgan before looking at Spencer, "You passed the test the past two years, and you have taken me down a few times when we hit the mats in the gym." chuckled Morgan as he watched Spencer and Garcia exchange glances before becoming serious "But since you didn't, you ready to do this?"

"Yeah, let's do this! Whoo! Whoo!" shouted Garcia and Spencer as they got up and headed to the track.

"Uh, hey, hey, hey. Happy-go-Luckys, where are you going?" asked Morgan.

"To run the mile." said Garcia.

"No, no, no. You didn't hear? The fit test is more than just a mile. Get your little butts back over here." said Morgan.

A minute later Spencer and Garcia were doing push ups, and Spencer thought back to when he did push ups while blowing raspberries on the kids bellies when they were much smaller while being glad that spending all those months on crutches and carrying the kids helped strengthen his arms quite a bit.

"Come on, let's go, all the way down, all the way up." said Morgan as he looked at Garcia before looking at Spencer who was doing push ups with ease, "Having to carry your kids around paid off."

An hour later Spencer was sitting on the ground while thinking about how he did on everything, knowing that push ups and pull ups were easy for him due to how much upper strength he gained when having to hobble around on crutches over four years ago and having to carry three kids around.

"Hey, hey, hey. What are we doin'? What's all this huffin' and puffin'? Come on, we still got a 2-mile run to go. Let's go!" shouted Morgan.

"Two miles?" asked Garcia.

"It's supposed to be one mile." said Spencer as he thought back to doing the fit test the same time as Hotch a year ago.

"No, no, no. Not on my watch. This whole fit test is altogether different. Now suck it up!" shouted Morgan.

"Oh, my God." said Garcia as she watched Spencer rub his bad knee.

"Let's go!" shouted Morgan.

At that moment Morgan burst out laughing.

"All right, all right, all right. Enough is enough. I guess I gotta let the cat out of the bag. I kind of already had your fit test waived." said Morgan.

"What?" asked Spencer.

Morgan looked at Garcia.

"Yeah. Baby girl, think about it. You're not even in the field." said Morgan before looking at Spencer, "And pretty Ricky, you already got enough case hours to qualify while you passed the past two fit tests you took over the past two years. This was just a good time for me."

At that moment Garcia looked at Spencer.

"I'm gonna kill him." said Garcia.

"If I can manage to lift my arms, I'll hold him down." said Spencer as he did a move to knock Morgan onto the ground.

"Dang kid." said Morgan as Garcia pounced on him and started tickling him.

"Here's a spot where Piper always tickles him." said Spencer as he started tickling his surrogate older brother, "You like that?"

As soon as Spencer and Garcia decided that Morgan had enough, and Spencer looked at Morgan.

"Remember what I told you about waging a prank war against a Cal-tech grad." said Spencer as he and Garcia shared smirks.

"You better watch out Derek, since I'm going to help Reid get you back." said Garcia.

"Better hide my electronics from you two." muttered Morgan.

* * *

The following morning, Spencer and Garcia were talking to Alex, JJ, Hotch, and Rossi in Hotch's office.

"I once warned Morgan that I would go nuclear on him, and I am going nuclear on him." said Spencer.

"What did he do?" asked Hotch.

Spencer and Garcia started explaining what Morgan did, and Hotch looked at them when they were finished.

"The fit test is only a mile." said Hotch.

"We know, and that's why we want to get revenge on him since I developed a nice bruise on my bad knee from his prank." said Spencer as he rolled up his pant leg and showed his teammates the bruise.

"Ouch." said Alex and JJ in unison.

"What are you two planning on doing?" asked Hotch as he realized that he couldn't stop Spencer and Garcia from gaining revenge on Morgan.

"We are going to need the boys help since Piper, Albert, and Ava are going to be part of the revenge." said Garcia as she explained what they wanted to do.

"Remind me never to wage you two Cal-tech geniuses into a prank war." said Hotch.

"I am thinking about having the dinner happen on my back patio where he can fall asleep on one of the lounge chaises, and I will put the benadryl in his food so he doesn't suspect that he will be falling asleep at my gathering tomorrow night." said Rossi.

* * *

The next evening a tired out Morgan laid down on one of the lounge chairs on Rossi's patio. A minute later he fell asleep, and as soon as Spencer and Garcia made sure that Morgan was asleep they started their revenge with the help of Olivia, JJ, and the kids.

* * *

Morgan woke up to laughter and the sound of a camera shutter and looked at everyone who was smirking at him.

"What's going on?" asked Morgan.

Garcia grabbed a mirror and passed it to Morgan, and Morgan saw that he was wearing make up and had marker all over his face before looking at Spencer and Garcia who were giving each other a high five.

"This was your revenge?" asked Morgan.

"Yes, and I already posted it on the Quantico message board and mentioned that this is what happens when you mess with two former Cal-tech students." said Garcia.

"Who all helped?" asked Morgan.

"JJ, Olivia, and I applied the eye shadow and mascara." said Garcia.

"Henry, Piper, Albert, Ava, and I did the coloring on your face and head." said Jack.

"I did warn you over two years ago that you should never prank a Cal-tech grad since I will prank you back, and I had a reputation at Cal-tech." said Spencer.

"You two win." said Morgan.

* * *

 _A/N: I was planning that Morgan would have to babysit Jack, Henry, Piper, Albert, and Ava all by himself while Jack, Henry, and Piper are hyped up on sugar or cake, but I was told that revenge prank would be a bit too hard on Morgan._


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 21._

 _I decided to combine Blood Relations and What Happens in Mecklinburg for you readers, and I decided that Savannah would go to Olivia since Olivia doesn't work for law enforcement._

 _Piper's now 21 months old and Albert and Ava are 10 months old._

* * *

Spencer looked at Ava who was standing up holding onto furniture.

"Ava." said Spencer in a sing song voice.

The 10 month old baby girl looked at her daddy and smiled.

"Come to daddy." coaxed Spencer.

Ava let go of the coffee table and took a few unassisted wobbly steps towards her daddy. She fell into his arms, causing the proud father to scoop up his youngest daughter.

"You finally took your first unassisted steps. I'm so proud of you my little birdie." said Spencer as he settled Ava onto his hip.

"Seepy daddy." said Ava

"Then let's get you into your crib for a nap." said Spencer as he carried Ava upstairs to her nursery.

15 minutes later Spencer was in the living room reading the book that he was reading just as Olivia and William entered the house with some groceries.

"There are a few more bags in the SUV." said Olivia as she headed to the kitchen.

A few minutes later Spencer was helping his wife and father put the groceries away and Olivia looked at her husband.

"How were the kids while we were gone?" asked Olivia.

"They are all taking naps right now, and Ava took her first unassisted steps." said Spencer.

Olivia burst into tears.

"I just can't believe that the twins turned 10 months old today, and that in less than three months Piper will be two while the twins turn one in two months." said Olivia.

"They are growing way too fast for my liking too, Livy." said Spencer.

William looked at his son.

"They are growing way too fast for my liking, too." said William.

* * *

"Get your barf bags ready, my creatures, because these pictures are even more not pretty than usual. Clark Howard, till last night, in Wheeling, West Virginia. Murder weapon left on the scene." said Garcia as she showed some pictures.

"Is that barbed wire?" asked Morgan.

"Indeed it is, arranged to fit like a noose." said Garcia.

"How do you wrap that into a noose?" asked Rossi.

"I guess it's the same way that porcupines make love. Very carefully." answered Garcia, causing everyone to hide their amusement.

"Yeah, but the tensile strength wouldn't allow you to tie it like rope." said Rossi.

Spencer decided to speak since he saw his uncle use barb wire on the fences on his ranch.

"It can if you're strong enough, which speaks to the unsub's physicality." said Spencer.

"And the fact that he twisted a head completely around speaks more to the unsub's physicality." said JJ.

"It's a redundancy in the M. O., isn't it? The unsub possibly tried to hang." said Alex before Spencer interrupted her.

"Or decapitate." said Spencer.

"Yeah, or decapitate Clark Howard. The noose wasn't effective, so he kills him by hand." said Alex.

"Report says he's victim number two. Who's victim number one?" asked Rossi.

"That would be Matthias Lee. Mr. Lee was killed when he was out hunting. He was caught in a bear trap. Accident, you say? I say, no, because the bear trap was launched from a makeshift projectile hidden inside a tree, and it was also lined with barbed wire, which is why Wheeling P. D. Has invited us in." said Garcia.

"Well, both victims were hunters, but the way they were killed, it looks like the unsub was hunting them." said Rossi.

"And even though both men were armed and should have had the upper hand, he was skilled enough to use stealth and the environment to surprise them." said Rossi.

"And in order to find this unsub, we're gonna have to do it on his turf, where he's got the advantage, and he's gonna see us coming." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his phone and sent Olivia a text message as he headed to his desk.

GOING TO WEST VIRGINIA, AND I WILL CALL YOU WHEN I HAVE A CHANCE. I LOVE YOU AND I PROMISE TO COME HOME SAFE TO YOU AND THE KIDS. ~ SR

* * *

"Two murders in two days. Do the police have any leads on who would want these men dead?" asked Alex.

"They did. Until he was killed, Wheeling P. D. was circling Clark Howard for the murder of Matthias Lee." said Hotch.

"It's easy to see why. Looking at their case histories, both men filed dozens of harassment and nuisance lawsuits against each other, including unfounded claims of burglary and trespassing. Then, in 2011, Matthias Lee filed a civil complaint against Clark Howard "to kiss his ass." Clark Howard responded with a motion to go..." said Spencer as he read something to himself before looking up at his team, "You can't actually do that with the male anatomy." said Spencer.

Morgan raised his eyebrows knowing that Spencer wouldn't say something very inappropriate.

"Ok, so maybe this isn't one unsub, then. Maybe this is just tit-for-tat revenge murders." said JJ.

"Sure. Clark Howard uses the barbed wire for murder number one, and then the unsub gets him back by hanging him with it for murder number two." said Morgan.

"We need to dig deep in the family and friends, then. That's our suspect pool." said Alex.

"They're gonna be reluctant to talk to federal agents. It's not like we're very popular in this neck of the woods." said Rossi.

"Blake, you and JJ see who you can get to come to the table. Reid, look into where the unsub or unsubs are getting this barbed wire. Dave and Morgan, find out what you can about the victims, what else they might have been involved in that could have gotten them killed." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer looked at Alex after he got back from talking to some farmers.

"I talked to 3 farmers who had 3 different strands of barbed wire stolen. None of them saw the thief, but they all swear it was the same person. The mountain man." said Spencer.

Alex looked at Spencer with wide eyes before Spencer nodded at her, telling her it's true.

"Should we have Garcia look into it as a pseudonym?" asked Alex.

"I think maybe we should hold off on that. The mountain man seems to be a confluence of several local legends. Some say he's part of the backwoods Appalachian population, others say he's a confederate holdout trying to start a second civil war to turn brother against brother, but the one thing they all could agree upon is if you go into a darkened bathroom and you chant "I hate the mountain man" 3 times, he'll pop up behind you and kill you the next time you hear Lynyrd Skynyrd on the radio." said Spencer.

"So you're sure the theft from the farms match the crime scenes?" asked Alex.

"Yeah. Barbed wire's actually quite specific depending on what type of livestock you're trying to keep in and what type of rustlers you're trying to keep out. In this case, the concertina formation was exactly what was used to kill Clark Howard and Matthias Lee." said Spencer as he showed Alex the pictures.

"Except, we have two murders, but you talked to 3 farmers." said Alex.

"Yeah. Wire number 3 hasn't been found yet." said Spencer.

"That's not good." said Alex.

"No, it is not." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer crossed his arms as he listened to Garcia talk.

"Per my sweet JJ's request, I have combed through the lives of the Lee and Howard fathers. Now, going backwards, there's nothing particularly compelling about either of their graves, but, holy cow, everything before it is. So, gather around the campfire, my friends, 'cause this one is quite the story. Ok, so the family forefathers, Carl Howard and Munroe Lee, specifically, grew up in the Wheeling area circa prohibition time. And they were competing moonshine runners." said Garcia.

"Which started a family feud." said JJ.

"Did it ever. An exceptionally bloody one. Cousins, spouses, children. No one was spared." said Garcia.

"How long did the violence last?" asked Spencer.

"Until the passage of the 21st amendment. Once firewater became legal, they lost their bloodthirstiness-ness." said Garcia.

"Until Clark and Matthias brought it back. The new underground market brought back old rivalries to the surface." said Alex.

"It's only a matter of time before the Howards attack the Lees again. I mean, they were basically announcing it to us in the elevator." said JJ.

"We've got to find a way to defuse the situation or these families will tear each other apart." said Hotch.

* * *

"Ok, if we hit the reset button on the profile, what do we have?" asked Alex.

"Well, the behavior points to one obvious theory." said Morgan.

"Revenge murders stoking the fire of a family feud." said Spencer.

"With the forensic evidence to back it up." said Morgan.

"Physical evidence of methamphetamine production." said Spencer.

"The only problem is every time we dig a little deeper into the families, that theory falls apart." said Morgan.

"The Howards are certainly doing everything they can to prove this isn't about revenge for them." said Rossi.

"But the unsub want the families to think that it is." said Hotch.

"What if it's an outsider like you would see in the drug cartel model?" asked Alex.

"One supplier eliminates two major competitors by getting them to fight with each other." said Rossi.

"Except what are they fighting over? Miles Lee made a good point when I questioned him. There is nothing in his home or bank account to indicate he was a dealer." said JJ as she contacted Garcia.

"Ready, ready." said Garcia.

"So Garcia and I dug a little deeper. Take it away." said JJ.

"I did some peeking into both the Lee and Howard online shopping activity. Here's what I found. In addition to lye, they bought-are you ready? Sodium hydroxide, methanol, mixing beakers, digital scales, safety glasses, gloves, aprons-" said Garcia.

"All of which you need for meth." said Spencer.

"But the arrest record in the community told a different story. Neither the Howards nor the Lees are even tangentially involved." said JJ.

"Garcia, where were the purchases shipped?" asked Hotch.

"Uh, the Howards spread them out. The other side just sent them to one address, Malachi Lee's farm." said Garcia.

"We don't have a profile until we know what the family business is. Let's go get some answers." said Hotch as everyone got up.

"Thanks, Garcia." said JJ as she hung up.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"You stay here." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was walking through Cissy's kitchen with JJ and Rossi.

"Her car's still here, but she isn't. Between this and the break-in, the unsub must have come for her." said Spencer.

"He's never kidnapped a victim before. Why didn't he kill her on the spot?" asked JJ.

"Especially considering she pulled the trigger." said Rossi.

"This wasn't a surprise like the previous murder. She was ready for him." said Spencer.

"It didn't do any good. He still took her." said JJ.

"But to where?" asked Spencer as he crossed his arms before Rossi's cellphone rang.

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Rossi.

"I just made a one step forward, two step braha kind of discovery. Caleb Howard is on the radar, just under a different name. Sam Caplan. And, my friends, he is not the mountain man anymore." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates as he set a bag onto the table.

"The shack Malachi described fits the geographic profile of the unsub's hunting zone." said Spencer as he watched JJ, Rossi, Morgan, and Alex gear up.

"What are we walking into? We've already been shot at by the locals once." said Rossi.

"According to Garcia, the census counter out there encountered an Appalachian woman living in a cabin, but she refused to give any information." said Morgan.

"The woman must have raised the unsub out there. That's how he knows the area so well. It's his backyard." said JJ.

"That's exactly where he would have taken Cissy." said Hotch.

Spencer passed Alex a duffel bag before he and Hotch watched JJ, Alex, Morgan, and Rossi walk away.

* * *

Spencer was setting breakfast on the table when Olivia and William came down with the kids.

"You never even called to say that you were going to be home before we woke up." said Olivia as she set Piper on the floor.

"Daddy's home." said Piper as she ran to her daddy.

"I wanted to surprise you guys." said Spencer as he scooped up Piper and settled her into her booster seat before kissing her head while William and Olivia set the twins in their high chairs.

"Do you have to go in today?" asked Olivia.

"I have the day off." said Spencer as he cut up a pancake for Piper before setting the cut up portions next to the scrambled eggs.

"Pway with me?" asked Piper as she took the fork her daddy handed her.

Spencer let out a yawn.

"Seepy daddy?" asked Piper.

"I have been up practically all night catching a bad man, so after we eat I'm going to take a nap for a few hours before it's time for lunch." said Spencer as he walked over to the twins and kissed their foreheads before kissing Olivia, "And after lunch I thought that a trip to the park would be in order."

"I think that's a great idea." said Olivia

A minute later everyone was eating their breakfast.

* * *

Less than a week later Spencer was helping Olivia and his father clean up the kids from a messy breakfast when Spencer's work phone vibrated. He checked his phone as Olivia looked at her husband and heard him sigh.

"A case?" asked Olivia.

"I'm going to Memphis, and I don't know how long it's going to be." said Spencer.

"I blame the unsub for you getting called in, but please stay safe." said Olivia as she kissed her husband before straightening his sweater vest and glasses.

Spencer looked at Piper, Albert, and Ava who were sitting in their high chairs or booster seats.

"Daddy has to go away for a few days, so please be good for mommy and grandpa." said Spencer as he gave each child a kiss on the forehead.

"Bye bye daddy." said Piper.

"Buh buh." said Albert as he waved at his father.

"Buh buh." said Ava as she waved at her father.

William looked at his son.

"Stay safe." said William.

Spencer bolted towards the stairs to go grab his bags and revolver, and a few minutes later he was out the door and Olivia looked at her father in law.

"Even though he's on call 24/7, I'm glad that he's a devoted husband and father when he's home." said Olivia

"I know, and you and the kids are some of the best things that have happened to him." said William

"I know." said Olivia as she heard her husband's car pull away.

* * *

Spencer looked at Morgan as he sat down.

"Good morning." said Spencer as he smiled at Morgan.

"Seemed like you had a great morning so far." said Morgan.

"Being woken up by a 21 month old toddler giving Livy and me kisses was a great wake up call, and Livy decided to make blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast." said Spencer.

"How do you do it?" asked Morgan.

"Do what?" asked Spencer.

Before Morgan could answer, JJ walked into the room and Hotch looked at Garcia.

"Let's get started." said Hotch.

"Memphis division is reporting 3 abductions in the last 48 hours. Michael Smith, age 59, Trevor Burkett, age 23, and the latest victim, Christy White, age 21. They were all taken from parking lots late at night. Trevor and Michael's cars were left abandoned." said Garcia.

"The third victim, Christy White, went to a supermarket with her friend Debbie Martin last night. The unsub attacked Debbie first but ultimately left her behind." said Hotch.

"Debbie was released from the hospital this morning with a concussion, and what we know from the police report is that the unsub wears a pig mask, and he's using a taser to incapacitate his victims." said Garcia.

"So does this unsub just lie in wait in parking lots for victims of opportunity?" asked Rossi.

"It's pretty bold, then, attacking two girls at once." said JJ.

"Maybe he's on a timetable and couldn't wait for a lone victim." said Spencer.

"Well, if he is, the distance he's traveled doesn't help. It was over 60 miles between each crime scene. These 3 were taken from all over west Tennessee." said Morgan.

"Well, it's possible he knew them and they were all specific targets." said Alex.

"Why the pig mask? I mean, obviously he's shielding his identity, but is there some other meaning here?" asked JJ.

"You know, the symbolism really runs the gamut. Pigs can stand for anything from greed and laziness to celebration and good luck, not to mention the derogatory nickname for cops." said Spencer.

"Well, the other question is, what's he doing with the victims? No bodies were discovered." said Morgan.

"Well, he's either got a secluded disposal site or he's got a longer-term plan. These victims could still be alive. Let's go to Memphis." said Hotch as he got up and everyone followed suit.

* * *

"Trevor Burkett is a senior at Mecklenburg State, and Christy White is a sophomore at Ripley University." said JJ.

"And both students are roughly the same age, but Michael Smith is a retiree in his late 50s." said Morgan.

"Which one of these is not like the other?" asked Rossi.

"The unsub seems not to have an age or a gender preference." said Hotch.

"So he probably wasn't driven by any sort of sexual desire." said Alex.

"He could be holding them all together, which may mean they're surrogates of some kind." said Rossi.

"That would also explain why he left Debbie Martin behind. She was African American and the rest of his victims were Caucasian. Maybe she didn't fit his parameters." said Spencer.

"Well, Michael Smith was the first victim abducted." said Rossi.

"Do you think it was logistical or intentional?" asked Alex.

"Either way, the first victim is usually the most significant and Michael's the odd man out." said Rossi.

I'll have Garcia dig deeper into his history. When we land, Morgan, you and JJ go talk to Debbie Martin. The rest of us will get set up at the field office." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer stood with his arms crossed while he watched Rossi finish up his phone call.

"All right. Thanks, Morgan." said Rossi before hanging up and looking at Spencer and Hotch, "Unsub had plenty of time to take Debbie Martin, too, but he just left her there."

"So they're not surrogates. Christy White was his specific target." said Hotch.

"Which means he probably stalked Christy and was expecting her to be alone. Debbie was a hiccup in his plan, so he adjusted." said Rossi.

"The unsub went to great lengths to stage the abductions in rapid succession, as if they were orchestrated." said Spencer as Alex entered the room.

"Ok. Garcia reviewed Michael Smith's phone records. Everyone he spoke to checks out, except for him. Dr. Edward Calder, local E. R. physician. He spoke to Michael Smith an hour before his abduction." said Alex.

"What's his story?" asked Rossi.

"He claims he was home alone the night Smith disappeared, but not a soul can corroborate it." said Alex.

"We should talk to him." said Hotch.

* * *

A few hours later in Washington DC, Olivia and William were turning off the TV to head to their respective beds when the doorbell rang and Olivia looked at William.

"I got it." said Olivia as she headed to the door and her blue eyes went wide when she saw Savannah, "Come on in, Savannah."

"Hello Savannah." said William.

"Hello William." said Savannah.

William looked at Olivia.

"Do you think you need me to stay in the guest bedroom tonight?" asked William.

"All three kids are sleeping through the night now, so I think I will be fine." said Olivia.

"Good night then." said William before heading to the basement door.

"Let's talk in the kitchen." said Olivia as she grabbing the iPad with video footage of all three nurseries.

A few minutes later Olivia and Savannah were sitting at the kitchen island drinking tea.

"What's wrong?" asked Olivia.

"Please don't tell anyone about this conversation, but I think Derek is trying to get me to break up with him since I got upset that he got called in this morning." said Savannah before looking at Olivia, "How do you handle over two and a half hears of marriage and three kids under the age of two with a husband that's on call 24/7?" asked Savannah as she took a peek of the footage that included two sleeping 10 month olds and a sleeping 21 month old.

"It isn't easy, but we make things work. When I found out I was pregnant with twins instead of just Albert, William decided that it was time to retire from being a lawyer and move out here to help me since I didn't want Spencer to leave the BAU." said Olivia.

"You never get upset when Spencer gets called in?" asked Savannah.

"When he gets called in when he's home, I always tell him that I blame the unsub for him getting called in. I knew that Spencer had a life before meeting him, and I knew that he was an FBI agent since I read some of his published work before meeting him." said Olivia.

"So you were a fan of Spencer's work?" asked Savannah as she thought about when she came across Spencer's published work and was glad when she finally got to meet him.

"I was while still being a fan of his work today, and I was glad that I approached him in that coffee shop in Pasadena." grinned Olivia.

"Derek said that you're one of the best things that happened to Spencer." said Savannah before she looked at the clock and noticed how late it was "I'm going to be heading home since I have work again in the morning, but I appreciate having the time to talk to you about relationships." said Savannah as she got off the stool.

"You're always welcome here when our men are out on cases." said Olivia.

"I know, and thank you for listening to me." said Savannah as she hugged Olivia.

"You're welcome." said Olivia.

* * *

The following morning Spencer was standing in front of agents from the Memphis field office with his teammates.

"This unknown subject is an injustice collector who's delivering transferred vengeance. We believe this unsub may also be a woman and that she's on a mission to punish those she's deemed responsible for the death of James Linwood." said Hotch.

"The pig mask they wear is the same one worn by pledges of the Beta Sigma Delta fraternity, as a reminder of that fatal night." said JJ.

"We believe the victims are being tortured as payback for their role in Linwood's death." said Morgan.

"One of the abductees, Trevor Burkett, escaped or was released after being forced to drink hydrochloric acid." said Rossi.

"We believe the acid symbolizes the excessive alcohol the loved one was forced to drink the night he died." said Spencer.

"Scarring these victims will ensure that the world never forgets what they've done." said Alex.

"The unsub is exhibiting a level of sexual assault and torture which is normally atypical for female offenders, but it is seen when there's been years and years of built-up rage and anger." said Morgan.

"Like Los Angeles cop killer Christopher Dorner, injustice collectors believe they've been dealt a lifetime of unfairness and believe that nobody treats them with the respect they deserve." said Spencer.

"But in reality, they're simply masking insecurities and fears by solely placing the blame on others." said Morgan.

"This means the unsub's next target will probably be another fraternity member or someone who attended the party where Linwood was killed." said Rossi.

"It could also be someone from the university whom the unsub perceives as having played a role in his death." said JJ.

"So we need you to warn students, faculty, and staff at Mecklenburg State they need to stay aware and alert." said Morgan.

"Even the loosest affiliation could be magnified in the unsub's psyche." said Alex.

"At this point we have to believe that Christy White and Michael Smith are still alive but are undergoing severe torture. So time is of the essence. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was sitting across from Marcus.

"It's just crazy. Me and Trevor were roommates, but to be honest, I barely saw him after we moved out of the Beta Sigma Delta house." said Marcus.

Spencer opened a file and slid a picture to Marcus.

"Do you recognize this girl? Her name's Christy White. She was kidnapped by the same person who took Trevor." said Spencer softly.

Marcus looked at the picture.

"No. I don't." said Marcus.

"Think back to the pig party. Do you remember her being there?" asked Spencer.

"Maybe. I don't know. I was really wasted." said Marcus.

Spencer decided to do a cognitive interview on Marcus.

"Marcus, sometimes our subconscious picks up details that our conscious minds aren't aware of. Do me a favor and close your eyes." said Spencer softly and as soon as Marcus closed his eyes Spencer spoke again, "All right. Think back to that night. The music's loud... It smells like beer..."

"And mud." said Marcus before he continued, "Me and Trevor were greeters. No one could enter unless they got dirty." said Marcus.

"Who's arriving?" asked Spencer.

"A few brothers from another chapter." said Marcus as he continued talking before he heard Spencer's voice again, "What did you say?" asked Marcus.

"I asked you where Lauryn went." said Spencer.

"I-I don't know." stuttered Marcus.

"Was Trevor with Christy the rest of the night?" asked Spencer.

"I don't think so." said Marcus.

"All right, close your eyes again." instructed Spencer.

Marcus closed his eyes allowing Spencer to start again.

"It's a little bit later. Look around the room. Do you see Christy?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah. She's laughing and flirting with the D. J." said Marcus.

"Where is Trevor?" asked Spencer.

"Across the room, talking to Christy's friend. But then he leaves her to go talk to two guys. I don't recognize them. Their backs are to me. They look like upperclassmen. Then the two guys go down to the basement. Trevor goes back to talk to Lauryn. And then he takes her down to the basement, too." said Marcus.

"Why would upperclassmen be wearing pig masks at the party? I thought only the pledges wore them." said Spencer.

"I don't know. They shouldn't be." said Marcus.

* * *

Spencer approached Morgan and Rossi.

"Parents live on the west coast. No siblings." said Morgan

"Christy was at the party with a friend named Lauryn. Trevor met Christy, but he didn't spend any time with her." said Spencer as he, Morgan, and Rossi entered the conference room they were given.

"She was there, though. We have a connection now." said Rossi.

"And I don't think the pledge dying was the only thing that happened that night." said Spencer.

"What do you think?" asked Alex.

"Marcus witnessed something strange. He saw Trevor talking to Christy's friend, then he saw Trevor talking to two upperclassmen he didn't recognize because they were wearing pig masks. Then he saw them all go down to the basement." said Spencer.

"If something nefarious happened in the basement, the unsub could be angry about that, not the dead pledge." said Rossi.

"Maybe Christy's friend Lauryn knows something." said Alex.

"Well, we know there's no statement from Christy for that night, and there's also nothing from anyone named Lauryn." said Morgan.

"Yeah, a lot of the kids ran off when the police showed up." said Alex.

"We need to find Lauryn. She could break this case open." said Rossi.

* * *

After Spencer read through the financial records he spoke up.

"According to these financial records, it looks like Michael Smith is more than a Mecklenburg State booster, he's also kind of shady." said Spencer.

"How so?" asked Hotch.

"Well, he's got a business account that makes automatic monthly transfers to a sporting goods company called Star-Gear, and that particular company supplies the Mecklenburg State football team with all their equipment." said Spencer.

"He also purchased several cars for the players, in addition to paying off their DUI fines and attorney fees." said JJ.

"That explains why he wanted the rape charges to go away." said Morgan.

"Adam Richmond had to be the reason Smith got involved in the first place." said JJ.

"Calder, the E.R. doc, knew that Lauryn had been raped, so he called Michael Smith and they covered it up." said Hotch.

"But how in the world did Sheila know who to go after in the first place?" asked JJ.

"Her sister must have told her somehow." said Morgan.

"But how? She was in a coma." said Spencer.

"I'll have Garcia go through the phone records again. Maybe we missed something." said Hotch.

"And since her sister's dead now, she may begin to unravel." said JJ as Alex entered the room.

"Adam Richmond was just reported missing. He was supposed to meet his football coach and now he's nowhere to be found." said Alex

* * *

"Sheila probably took her victims back to where it all started." said Spencer.

"Well, isn't the old Beta Sigma Delta house fully occupied?" asked Morgan.

"Yes. And I just confirmed that the basement was converted to a yoga studio last month." said Garcia.

"Symbolism is important to Sheila, though." said Alex.

"She must be on or near campus. She'd want to get as close as she could to the crime scene." said Morgan.

"And she'd need a place where she could drive in and unload her victims but remain unseen." said Spencer.

"Garcia, are there any vacant buildings within a 5-mile radius of the fraternity house?" asked Hotch.

Garcia started typing.

"Checking now. I've got a condemned house on Walnut that's scheduled to be razed for the new chemistry building, and there's a dormitory on the East Hill that's currently under renovation. I'm sending you both addresses now." said Garcia.

"All right, Morgan, you, Dave, and JJ go to the condemned house. The rest of us will take the dorm." said Hotch.

Spencer followed Hotch and Alex.

* * *

Spencer quietly checked on the twins before quietly creeping into Piper's bedroom where he kissed her forehead, causing the 21 month old to open her eyes.

"Daddy?" asked a groggy Piper.

"Go back to sleep, and you will see me in the morning." whispered Spencer.

"OK daddy." said Piper as she closed her eyes.

Spencer watched Piper sleep for a minute before heading to the master bedroom, and 15 minutes later a freshly showered Spencer was in bed with Olivia who woke up as soon as she felt Spencer's arm around her.

"When did you get home?" asked Olivia.

Spencer quickly turned on the lamp so he could see his wife better.

"Just got home 25 minutes ago, and I checked on the kids before taking a quick shower." said Spencer

"I missed that?" asked Olivia as she pouted at her husband.

Spencer chuckled.

"The next time I come home after the kids are in bed, I will be sure to invite you to join me." said Spencer.

"Are you tired yet?" asked Olivia.

"Not at all since I got some sleep during the flight home." said Spencer.

"On that note." said Olivia as she locked lips with her husband.


	23. Fatal

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

A/N: Shout out to Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 22.

* * *

William looked at his son and daughter in law.

"How about you two go do something together and I will stay here with the kids." suggested William.

"Are you sure?" asked Spencer.

"It's nice outside, and you two deserve some alone time." said William.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were in their bedroom.

"What do you think we should do?" asked Spencer.

"How about we spend the afternoon at Rock Creek Park and maybe rent two horses for a few hours." suggested Olivia.

Spencer grinned at his wife's idea.

* * *

A short while later they were at the stables and one of the workers looked at them.

"You two ever ride horses?" asked the worker while he helped Spencer and Olivia prep the horses they were renting.

"We have both rode horses since we were children, and we are already introducing our oldest child to riding." said Olivia.

"And three summers ago I brought Livy out here since she wanted to know where she could ride horses." said Spencer.

The worker looked at Olivia.

"I take it that you're not from here." said the worker.

"I'm from Arizona, and Spencer has been out here since he was 21." said Olivia.

The worker looked at Spencer.

"Where are you from?" asked the worker.

"Nevada, and my uncle owns a ranch where he raises five horses so whenever we go out there to visit we always try to get some riding in." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were riding while taking in the scenery.

* * *

A few days later Spencer was jotting down notes on his notepad when Garcia came into the room with Hotch and Rossi.

"Wayne Campbell, 38 years old, found dying yesterday morning in his holding cell in Long Beach, California. He claimed someone was trying to kill him, so he purposely got himself arrested to be protected. A strategy that didn't work out so great." said Garcia.

"What is the C.O.D.?" asked Alex.

"Arsenic poisoning." said Garcia.

"Ah, an oldie but a goodie." said Rossi.

"And you're tuned to the station where the hits keep coming. When news spread of Campbell's death, an officer in a nearby precinct remembered Helen Mitchell. 6 days earlier, she showed up with this letter she had found in her mailbox a few days before." said Garcia.

"Was it investigated?" asked JJ.

"They started a file, but Helen wasn't especially concerned." said Garcia.

"And in light of Campbell's death, they exhumed Helen Mitchell's body, and lethal amounts of arsenic were found in her system as well." said Hotch.

"Handwritten letters, poisoning by arsenic, we could be looking at a female unsub." said Morgan.

"Who wants her victims to have foreknowledge of their deaths. That's a new one." said JJ.

Spencer thought about Rossi's first case out of retirement when he was only 26 years old.

"Actually, we've seen a version of this M. O. before. 6 years ago in Dallas, Max Poole warned his victims by putting their faces on missing posters before killing them." said Spencer.

"In any event, there may be notes out there that we don't know about. We've got a long flight. Let's get going." said Hotch.

Spencer called Olivia as he headed to his desk.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Long Beach, California, and we're heading to the jet right now since it's a long flight." said Spencer.

"Have a minute to talk to the kids?" asked Olivia.

"I do." said Spencer.

Olivia put her phone on speaker, and Spencer spoke up.

"Daddy's going bye bye for a few days, so please be good for mommy and grandpa." said Spencer.

"Bye bye daddy." said Piper.

"Buh." said Albert.

"Buh." said Ava.

"Daddy loves you three." said Spencer.

"What about me?" asked Olivia.

"I love you too Olivia, and I promise to stay safe." said Spencer.

"Love you." said Olivia.

"Well I have to hang up now, and I will call when I have a chance." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

Halfway through the flight, Spencer's phone vibrated and he chuckled when he saw a picture of the kids covered head to toe with macaroni and cheese.

INSTEAD OF EATING THEIR MACARONI AND CHEESE, THEY DECIDED TO HAVE THEIR VERY FIRST FOOD FIGHT SO YOUR FATHER AND I ARE HAVING FUN WASHING MACARONI AND CHEESE OUT OF THEIR HAIR. ~ OR

"What's so funny?" asked JJ.

"The kids had their first food fight, and Livy sent me a picture of the results." said Spencer.

"Let me see." said JJ.

Spencer passed his phone to JJ, and she burst out laughing before passing the phone around causing everyone to chuckle or smile at the sight of the kids covered in macaroni and cheese.

When Spencer got his phone back, Hotch looked at everyone.

"Let's review what we got." said Hotch.

"Helen Mitchell was the socially prominent widow of an investment banker, philanthropist, patroness of the arts." said Morgan.

"Wayne Campbell, on the other hand, was as blue collar as they come. Worked for a tree-trimming and removal company." said JJ.

"Garcia, was the M. E. able to estimate when Campbell might have ingested the arsenic?" asked Hotch.

"Somewhere between 6:00 and 10 PM last evening." said Garcia.

"Do we know where Campbell was during those hours?" asked Alex.

"Same place he is every Tuesday night while his wife plays bridge. Erish grill. It's a neighborhood sports bar." said Garcia.

"This wasn't widely known, but Helen Mitchell had a drinking problem, and Wayne Campbell abused painkillers. That could be the common thread, and unsub's punishing them for their vices?" asked Spencer.

"Poisoning those who poison themselves?" asked Rossi.

"The syntax of the note is interesting. Instead of a simple "stop it," you get "prevent the inevitable."" said Alex.

"And in block lettering to disguise the handwriting." said JJ.

"Oh, no. Make room in your files, they're about to get thicker. A third victim was just reported half an hour ago. Carlos Ortega. Exact same note left on his body." said Garcia.

"Also poisoned?" asked Alex.

"Yeah, it looks that way. Well, this is weird. There was a piece of twine on his chest." said Garcia.

"No twine was reported on or near the first two victims." said JJ.

"Less than a day between kills this time. He's accelerating." said Rossi.

"Morgan, see who Helen Mitchell had contact with in the 24 hours before she died. Dave, you and Blake check out the Carlos Ortega crime scene. JJ and Reid to the sports bar, and I'll coordinate with local law enforcement." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer and JJ were talking to the bartender at the sports bar.

"Do you remember what Mr. Campbell ate the night before last?" asked JJ.

"His usual. Chili dog, onion rings. Cast-iron stomach, that guy." said the bartender.

"Did he talk to anyone?" asked JJ.

"Just the guy sitting next to him." said the bartender.

"Was this other guy also a regular?" asked Spencer.

"No. I hadn't seen him before. He kept buying Wayne drinks, though." said the bartender.

"Can you describe him?" asked JJ.

"White guy, heavy-set, maybe 40 years old. Wore a hat, average-looking." said the bartender.

"Do you think you'd recognize him if you saw him again?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah, I think so." said the bartender.

"Ok, well, thank you for your help. We may be contacting you again." said JJ.

"Anything I can do to help. Look, Wayne seemed a little preoccupied that night, but he was a good guy." said the bartender before walking away.

Spencer and JJ decided to observe the bar.

"The unsub may have spiked his drink." said JJ.

"It wouldn't have been hard to do. A busy bar, lots of noise and distraction. He kept plying Campbell with booze to get him drunk." said Spencer.

"And since what goes in has to eventually come out, it'd be his way to ensure that he'd get up at some point to use the bathroom." said JJ.

"The victim left momentarily... The unsub slipped in the arsenic... And left the bar." said Spencer.

"And when Campbell returned from the bathroom... He took a drink. He never had a clue." said JJ.

* * *

Spencer worked on a geographical profile while he listened to his teammates talk.

"Same kind of twine found in Wayne Campbell's pocket." said Hotch.

"A friend of the victim's, Benjie Ruiz, came by the shop around 9:40 and saw a single customer milling around in the muffler section." said Alex.

"There was no surveillance camera, but a cash register receipt confirms somebody exchanged a muffler at 9:36. When Mr. Ruiz left 5 minutes later, the customer was still there. At 9:50, Carlos was found dead. No customer in sight." said Rossi.

"Do we have a description of him?" asked Hotch.

"White male in his 40s, large build, and he wore a hat." said Alex.

Spencer looked at his teammates.

"That's the same description the bartender gave to me and JJ." said Spencer.

"It's gotta be our guy." said Morgan as Spencer turned back to his geographical profile and grabbed a compass to help make a circle.

"A green car was parked outside when Benjie Ruiz arrived and was still there when he left. No make or model, but pretty old." said Rossi.

"According to Mr. Ruiz, Carlos had no drug or alcohol issues. He was a solid, hard-working family man." said Alex.

"Well, that puts a dent in our theory of an unsub punishing people for their indiscretions." said Morgan.

"Unless Carlos had a vice we don't know about." said Hotch.

Detective Tavez came into the room.

"We just confirmed that the chocolates and the water cooler both tested positive for arsenic." said Detective Tavez.

"Any twine found at Helen Mitchell's house?" asked Hotch.

"A couple feet of it were tossed in the kitchen trash. We're thinking the chocolates may have been wrapped in it." said Detective Tavaz.

Spencer decided to tell his teammates about his finished geographical profile.

"Guys, I did a geographic profile of the victims, and it turns out they all lived or worked in the same 2.65 square-mile radius in the north part of the city." said Spencer.

"Well, that gives us his hunting ground, but not his victim selection criteria." said Hotch.

"The bartender said the unsub may have struck up a conversation with Campbell there that night." said Spencer.

"That's ballsy." said Alex.

"The same way he walked into Carlos' store to exchange the muffler." said Morgan.

"And for some reason, he feels the need to interact with his victims in the hours before they die." said Hotch.

* * *

Morgan shook his head when he saw Spencer reading a big book.

"What book are you reading?" asked Morgan.

""War and Peace"" said Spencer.

Alex took a peek and she lightly shook her head.

"I take it that's in Russian." said Alex.

Spencer flashed Alex a smile before looking at his book while he ate breakfast, and as soon as he read the last page he smiled when he saw a call from Olivia, causing him to get up and go to a quiet area.

"I just finished eating breakfast so what's up?" asked Spencer.

"15 minutes ago Piper decided to remove all her clothes and pull up and streak around the house." said Olivia as she watched her father in law try and get a squirming Piper dressed.

Spencer lightly shook his head when he heard Piper protest in the background.

"We might need to consider putting Little Miss Houdini in overalls, and hopefully she doesn't figure out how to unbuckle them." said Spencer.

"I was thinking the same thing, but do you have a few minutes to talk to her?" asked Olivia.

Spencer looked at Morgan who was waiting for him.

"I will meet you at the station." mouthed Spencer.

Morgan nodded as he walked away.

"I do." said Spencer.

Olivia put her phone on speaker.

"Daddy's on the phone." said Olivia.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"I heard you're being sassy for mommy and grandpa." said Spencer in a slightly stern tone.

"Sorry daddy." said Piper.

"I want you to behave for mommy and grandpa, and when I get home I'm going to talk to you. Now I have to head to the station, so I will talk to you guys later." said Spencer before telling Olivia and Piper that he loves them and hanging up.

* * *

Spencer entered the conference room and saw Morgan adjusting the geographical profile.

"Hey, kid. Our geo profile just got turned upside down. Our latest victim lives and works a good 10 miles from the unsub's hunting ground." said Morgan as Spencer took a few things out of his messenger bag.

"He's either branching out or we're missing something." said Spencer.

At that moment Garcia connected Morgan in for a Skype chat.

"Hey, baby girl, I need you to work that magic of yours." said Morgan.

"Rub my lamp, release the genie." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at a file, causing him to go over and look at the board.

"Our latest victim, Janice Cheswick- track her activities as far back as it takes to find a link between her and our other victims." said Morgan.

"As far back as in days or weeks?" asked Garcia.

"Months, if necessary." said Morgan.

"Pushing it, Aladdin, but I'm a go." said Garcia.

"That's why I love you." said Morgan.

Spencer decided to tell Morgan what he realized.

"These pieces of twine are all different lengths." said Spencer.

"Are you just now figuring that out?" asked Morgan as he took a sip of his coffee.

"I think it's by design. Starting with the first victim, the lengths are 25, 15, 12, and 19 inches." said Spencer.

"Yeah, so what?" asked Morgan.

"If you convert inches to centimeters, you're left with 64, 38, 31, and 48, the exact ages of all 4 victims." said Spencer as he realized what the unsub's delusion could be, "I think I know what this is about."

"What is it?" asked Morgan.

"I want the others in here first before I tell you so I only have to explain once." said Spencer.

* * *

A short while later they were giving the profile.

"The man we're looking for is a highly organized offender, but we don't yet know why or how he's choosing his victims." said Hotch.

"These appear to be killings of opportunity, yet he's researched his targets as though they'd been selected carefully and with premeditation." said Rossi.

"They run the gamut. Young and old, rich and poor, male and female. But with all of them, he leaves behind a piece of twine." said Morgan.

"Why does he do that? What does the twine represent?" asked Detective Tavez.

"In Greek mythology, a person's destiny was in the hands of the 3 fates. One to spin the thread of life, another to measure the thread, and finally atropos, the one who cut the thread with shears at the moment of death." said Spencer.

"We think that's what the twine symbolizes. He's decided the fate of his victims and then he observes them." said Hotch.

"As if assuming the form of a mythological god himself." said Rossi.

"We don't know what triggered the spree, but the unsub may have recently suffered a loss and is now lashing out." said JJ.

"If he can't control his own fate, he will control others." said Alex.

"This unsub is also quite meticulous. He studies his victims in advance to the murders, follows them, learns their habits, even interacts with them." said Spencer.

"His need to engage directly with his victims is a compulsion that overrides the risk of being caught." said Hotch.

"This compulsion will likely be his downfall and lead to his eventual capture." said Morgan.

"The time period between warning his victims and killing them is getting shorter with each murder. He could be unraveling." said JJ.

"The public needs to be made aware that if they receive a note similar to the ones he's already sent, they need to contact 911 immediately. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

"So sorry, my beautiful creatures, my DMV search yielded nuttin', but I did make progress on another front. That Janice Cheswick, she lives clear across on the other side of town, right? Well, last week, at 4:17 in the afternoon on the 23rd, to be precise, she charged a double soy latte at a coffee shop smack dab in the middle of the geo zone of the other 3 victims. Sending this now." said Garcia.

Hotch checked his phone.

"It's next to the university." said Hotch.

"The unsub may be a part of academia." said Spencer.

"All right, Garcia, start with the schools of classics and humanity and work out from there. Check any students or faculty for red flags." said Hotch.

"A fighting bull like moi looks for nothing else." said Garcia before signing off.

"I've got a sudden craving for a double soy latte." said Alex before looking at Spencer, "Let's take a ride."

Spencer got up and followed Alex.

* * *

"Do you recognize any of these people?" asked Alex.

"I don't. Sorry. What's this about?" asked the manager.

"We're investigating a series of murders, and we think the killer may have seen one or more of these victims at this coffee shop." said Spencer.

"Victims? You mean... All these people got killed?" asked the manager.

Alex brought up what she noticed.

"Excuse me. Is that a pinhole camera?" asked Alex.

The manager took Spencer and Alex to his office to show them the footage.

"You secretly videotape your employees?" asked Alex.

"Not the employees, just the cash register area." said the manager as Spencer and Alex gave each other looks, "Yeah, well, I guess that means the employees. We've got a pilferage problem."

"How long has this surveillance been going on?" asked Spencer.

"Uh...5 weeks." said the manager.

Spencer used his eidetic memory to recall the time and date that Janice went to the coffee shop.

"Go to 4:17 PM on the 23rd." said Spencer.

The manager followed Spencer's instructions, and as Spencer leaned forward.

"That's her." said Alex.

Spencer noticed something else.

"That's all of them." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer and Alex were briefing Hotch on what they found out.

"The unsub must be just out of camera range. This is the moment he selected all his victims." said Spencer.

"It ties in with his idea of fate, that these 4 were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let's bring in Benjie Ruiz and the bartender and see if they recognize anyone who came in that day as the man they saw." said Hotch.

"There's another identification we need to make, and fast. The next in line." said Alex as she pointed at the woman on screen.

Spencer and Morgan were walking towards the room where employees from the sports bar and auto shop were going through the video feed.

"How long have they been at it?" asked Morgan.

"2 hours, 11 1/2 minutes." said Spencer as they entered the viewing room where Detective Tavez was.

* * *

"Let's go, guys." said an officer.

"They couldn't identify any of the other customers as the man they saw at the auto shop or sports bar." said Spencer.

"The killer is picking his victims in the moment, right? You, you, you, and you. No advance planning." said Morgan.

"That's how it looks." said Spencer.

"Yet he later stalks each one, learning their habits." said Morgan.

"How does he manage to do that if they all scatter after they get their coffee?" asked Spencer.

"Parking lot." said Morgan.

"He saw them through the window. Waited till they came out one by one and drove away." said Spencer.

"Took down their license plate numbers. A little research at the DMV." said Morgan as Detective Tavaz came into the room.

"None of the coffee shop employees can identify the fifth woman in line." said Detective Tavez.

"Detective, can you make the surveillance video go any faster?" asked Spencer as he pointed at the computer.

"It'll go any speed you want." said Detective Tavaz.

"Go back to the beginning." said Spencer as he sat down, "I need to watch all 5 weeks in the video."

"But that's-" protested Detective Tavaz.

"525 hours." said Spencer as he adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah. We don't have time for that." said Detective Tavez.

"Reid, tell him what you did this morning for breakfast." said Morgan as he thought back to watching Spencer read while he ate.

"I read "War and Peace."" said Spencer.

Detective Tavez looked Spencer in shock.

"Reread it, actually. This time in the original Russian." said Spencer as he looked at the screen.

"Trust me, detective, there's enough time." said Morgan.

Detective Tavez sighed.

* * *

Tavez watched Spencer focus on the screen while the video surveillance was going as fast as it could.

"How do you do that?" asked Tavez.

Spencer spoke as he continued to watch the footage.

"By employing the same principles used in speed reading. I minimize subvocalization of the images and reduce cognitive load by-" said Spencer as he noticed the woman they needed to find on screen, "Wait, wait. Back up the feed."

Tavez followed Spencer's instructions.

"There." said Spencer as he recognized the woman wearing scrubs on March 31st.

"That's her." said Tavez as he realized he was very impressed with the young agent.

"Can you push in on her name tag?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah." said Tavez.

Spencer got up and a few minutes later he was heading towards Hotch and Alex.

"Bonnie Taylor isn't answering." said Alex as Spencer handed Hotch a sheet of paper.

"This her home address?" asked Hotch.

"Yeah, but today's her day off, so she's not at work." said Spencer as he headed to the conference room.

"Detective, send squad cars to this address immediately." said Hotch.

"Right away." said Tavez.

* * *

The following Monday Spencer looked up at JJ, Alex, and Garcia after he got the film canister ready.

"You guys can look now." said Spencer.

JJ, Alex, and Garcia turned around and watched the canister fizz up, and as the glass doors opened to allow Hotch, Ms. Springer, Jack, and Jack's classmates in the film canister ended up flying across the room and landed by Hotch's feet, causing Hotch to look at JJ, Alex, and Garcia who scattered while Spencer gave his boss a shy smile.

"Reid, we talked about this." said Hotch as he led Jack, his teacher, and Jack's classmates to Spencer's desk.

"I know." said Spencer as Hotch placed the canister on his desk.

Jack looked at Spencer.

"Are you ever going to tell me how you do physics magic uncle Spencer?" asked Jack.

"A magician never reveals his secrets, but I have already taught you a few magic tricks since you became my apprentice since Piper, Albert, and Ava are too young right now." said Spencer as he pulled a quarter out of Jack's ear.

"You work with Jack's dad?" asked Ms. Springer.

"He does." said Hotch as he introduced Alex, JJ, Garcia, and Spencer to Jack's teacher and classmates.

After Spencer was introduced, Jack looked at his classmates and teacher.

"Uncle Spencer's a magician." said Jack.

"Can you show us a magic trick?" asked a student.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Only show one magic trick so you can finish up your paperwork and get home to your wife and kids in time for dinner." said Hotch.

"Yes sir." said Spencer before looking at Jack, "What trick do you want to see?"

"Do physics magic again." said Jack.

Spencer looked at Hotch who nodded his approval.

"You guys are going to cover your eyes since I don't like everyone seeing what I use for physics magic." said Spencer.

Everyone covered their eyes, and less than 30 seconds later Spencer spoke up.

"You guys can uncover your eyes now." said Spencer as he disguised his voice to make him sound like an evil scientist.

Some of the kids laughed at the sound of Spencer's voice, and after watching the film canister for 10 seconds the canister shot up and flew across the bullpen before hitting Morgan in the head, causing him to look over at Spencer who was looking at him with wide eyes as laughter erupted from the kids, Hotch, JJ, Alex, and Garcia, causing him to walk over.

"Did physics magic for the kids?" asked Morgan.

"Sorry Morgan, but Jack asked me to show his classmates physics magic." said Spencer.

Garcia led Jack, Ms. Springer, and Jack's classmates up to the conference room, and Hotch looked at Spencer.

"This is going to be you in a few years." said Hotch.

"Please don't remind me." said Spencer.

Morgan, JJ, and Alex laughed as a smirking Hotch headed up to the conference room.


	24. Angels and Demons

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 23._

 _Now here's the chapter that deals with both Angels and Demons. I know that this is the longest chapter yet since there's over 9,000 words typed (I ended up having to include a few additional scenes while moving the last scene between Spencer and Alex around since someone else will be Spencer's and Olivia's ride home), but I decided that Angels and Demons would be in one chapter so I don't keep you faithful readers waiting._

* * *

Spencer slowly got out of Piper's bed and kissed her forehead gently.

"Good night Piper. Daddy loves you so much." said Spencer as he covered her up.

A minute later he was in Albert's nursery and shook his head when he saw his 11 month old son laying awake instead of being asleep.

"What are you doing up, buckaroo?" asked Spencer as he gently removed his son from his crib before he settled in the rocking chair and started rocking him to sleep.

"Daddy." said Albert.

"It seems like he wanted you." said Olivia softly as she entered the nursery with Ava on her hip.

"Daddy." said Ava as she squirmed in her mother's arms.

"She won't fall asleep either?" asked Spencer as he accepted Ava from Olivia.

"Seems like they both wanted you since Ava wanted you." said Olivia.

"I wonder if they sensed that something bad is going to happen. You know that I have been to Canada for a case?" asked Spencer.

Olivia nodded.

"I was searching the loft in a barn since I found out where the unsub's mentally disturbed brother was staying, and Hotch came to check on me and see what I found. I actually asked Hotch if he ever gets a feeling that the case wasn't going to end well, and he ignored my question since we had an unsub to find. What we didn't know that a few hours after that case, Hotch would be attacked in his own apartment by the Reaper and I would be shot in the knee the same day." said Spencer.

"Why are you saying this?" asked Olivia.

"With it being May, there's always a case that causes my teammates and I to be in extreme danger. Last year was the Replicator doing his end game, and the year before it was that bank bombing that caused Will to be a hostage." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at Albert and Ava.

"They're asleep now." said Olivia as she collected Ava from her husband and carried her to the nursery while Spencer placed Albert in his crib.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were in their bedroom, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Take a shower together before hitting the sack?" asked Olivia.

"Sure." said Spencer.

An hour later Spencer and Olivia were getting into their pajamas when Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Hotch.

DROP ANYTHING YOUR DOING AND COME BACK TO HEADQUARTERS. ~ AH

Olivia looked at her husband as she heard him sigh sadly.

"Work?" asked Olivia.

"I have to go in." said Spencer as he stripped out of pajamas, grabbed the clothes that he laid out for the next day and quickly got dressed.

"Let me know what's going on when you find out why you were called back." said Olivia as she helped her husband tie his tie before kissing him on the lips.

A few minutes later Spencer was heading back to headquarters.

* * *

Spencer and Alex exited an elevator together and nodded at the agent who was getting in.

"This again?" asked Alex.

"You miss another flight to see James?" asked Spencer.

"Worse. He came here. He's cooking and watching "House Hunters" without me," said Alex before she looked at Spencer, knowing that he would ask about that job offer she got a year ago, "You know, he'd better not try to make an offer again." said Alex as she and Spencer approached JJ, Morgan, Rossi, and Garcia.

"So, we get Henry to bed, and, you know, we're about to finally have some alone time with mommy and daddy, and... You guys know the rest." said JJ.

Spencer gave JJ an understanding look.

"Ah, trying to dust off the old cobwebs." teased Morgan before looking at Spencer, "I take it that you and Olivia were doing it too since your kids go to sleep much sooner than Henry?"

Spencer's face heated up a bit as Garcia smacked Morgan on the shoulder.

"Inappropriate." said Garcia.

"What?" laughed Morgan.

Garcia looked at JJ.

"Seriously, though, how long has it been?" asked Garcia.

"Too long." answered JJ.

"Do we know what the case is?" asked Alex.

"Not yet. Hotch just said to drop everything and get back here." said Rossi.

"You need some private adult time. I'll watch Henry. No bad guys, no kids, in that order. Go to Mexico. Or the Maldives, maybe." said Garcia.

JJ noticed their section chief walking out of Hotch's office with Hotch.

"Cruz?" asked JJ.

"Yes! Exactly. A cruise would be perfect." said Garcia.

"No, no, no. Matt Cruz." said JJ.

Everyone turned to look at Hotch who saw that his agents had arrived.

"Let's get started." said Hotch.

Garcia looked at Spencer as they headed to the conference room.

"When was the last time you and Olivia had private adult time?" asked Garcia.

"A gentleman never kiss and tells." said Spencer as his face turned a bit red.

Garcia smirked at Spencer.

"You're lucky that the kids go to bed earlier than Jack and Henry." said Garcia.

"We're not planning to have another baby this year, but it might be next year when Livy and I revisit the topic of trying for one more." said Spencer as they entered the conference room.

Less than a minute later Hotch and Cruz entered the room, and Cruz looked at JJ right away.

"How are those ribs?" asked Cruz.

"It still hurts when I laugh. You?" asked JJ.

"The scars impress the ladies." said Cruz before looking at Garcia, "I hope you don't mind, Ms. Garcia, if I took the liberty of having the much less talented version of you in my office load the case details." said Cruz as he took the remote.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure, no problem." said Garcia before sitting down.

Cruz looked at his agents.

"A good friend of mine, sheriff Peter Coleman, down in Briscoe county, Texas, reached out to me about a possible case. He's a former Texas Ranger, he's a good guy." said Cruz.

"He read about our work on the Silencer case two years ago. He asked for a consult." said Hotch as he thought about how his goddaughter was almost two months old during that time.

"What do we have?" asked Alex.

"Abigail Jones. Prostitute. She was found in a dumpster last night." said Cruz as he showed his agents the pictures he was sent.

"What's that on her wrists?" asked Morgan.

"It's, uh... It's... It's..." said Cruz as he struggled with the remote before looking at Garcia, "Uh, would you mind?"

Garcia stood up before taking the remote.

"Thank you, Jesus, Buddha, and Allah. I like to cover my bases. You have to squeeze it." said Garcia.

At that moment everyone got a better look at the picture.

"Rope burns." said Rossi.

"Which goes hand in hand with lacerations on her back." said Cruz.

"There's also a gunshot wound to the back of her head, execution style." said JJ.

"It's a conflict in M. O. The cutting and restraints, points to sexual sadism, but the gunshot wound ends the torture too quickly for a sadist." said Spencer.

"Is that the only victim?" asked Alex.

"There's Hannah Kelly, another prostitute, killed 6 months ago, dumped one jurisdiction over." said Cruz.

"Forensic countermeasure. Smart enough to separate the victims so we won't tie them together." said Alex.

"And practical, too. The body was left in hooker row, where they pick up their Johns, which brings us to our first victim, Lucas Wagner. Killed 11 months ago. Multiple arrests for soliciting a prostitute. He was found outside of a crack house where some of them lived." said Cruz.

"He takes a paying customer and drops them where the girls live. That sends a message that nobody's safe." said Morgan.

"Tell sheriff Coleman we're on our way." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his phone and called Olivia.

"So why were you called back?" asked Olivia.

"Going to Texas." said Spencer.

"Well I am going to turn in for the night, and please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I will try." said Spencer.

"Love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up when Hotch approached him and noticed that Spencer had that furrowed brow look.

"You OK?" asked Hotch.

"Albert and Ava were very clingy to me this evening, and I think they are sensing that something bad is possibly going to happen especially since we always work a case in May that takes a huge toll on us and I wonder if this is the case where something bad is going to happen, based on the information we got so far." said Spencer.

"I have the same feeling too." said Hotch as he wondered if Reid was correct since he flashed back to when Spencer asked him if he ever gets a feeling that something bad is about to happen when they had that case in Canada.

Rossi came over to them.

"You guys ready?" asked Rossi.

"Yeah." said Spencer as he looked at the photos on his desk of him, Olivia, and the kids together.

* * *

"Ballistics matched one gun to all 3 shootings. So, the same unsub killed one John and two prostitutes." said JJ.

"At least he keeps it in the family." said Rossi.

"Maybe the John's a friend of the unsub, someone he picked up prostitutes with." said Alex.

"Well, once he kills his friend, it makes it easier to kill the prostitutes." said Morgan.

"That would explain why there's no sexual assault on the victims. It's not about rape for this unsub, it's about torture." said Spencer.

"I mean, that fits, kind of, but it just feels like we're missing something." said Morgan.

"What we're missing is whether this guy's a sadist or not. A gunshot to the back of the head throws everything off." said Rossi.

"We're presuming he's using the gun to end things, but it could be part of the psychological torture." said Hotch.

Spencer decided to pretend that he's the unsub.

"I'm gonna cut you, and if you flinch, bang." said Spencer.

"Ok, so let's go with that for a second. There were 5 cuts on Lucas Wagner, 9 on Hannah, 12 on Abigail. He's escalating his torture. Sadists definitely do that." said JJ.

"And they get deeper with each victim." said Alex.

"That's right. The first cuts were experimental in nature, and the latter ones were about maximum infliction of pain." said Spencer.

"What if this is vigilantism? He's punishing these women and their johns to clean up the streets." said Rossi.

"But why take so long to do it? 3 victims in 11 months? That's a substantial cooling-off period." said Morgan.

Morgan, you and Reid talk to anyone working the streets last night and see if they saw something useful. Dave and Blake, go to the coroner's office, see what you can learn there, and JJ and I will go to the station with the sheriff and start interviewing friends and family." said Hotch.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Hopefully your wedding band helps keep prostitutes from hitting on you like they've done in the past." said Morgan.

Spencer reached over and slapped Morgan on the back of the head, causing chuckles from JJ, Alex, and Rossi while Hotch's lips twitched up a bit.

* * *

Spencer smiled softly when he looked at his phone, causing Morgan to look at him.

"Olivia send you some new pictures?" asked Morgan.

"Yes." said Spencer as he showed a picture to Morgan.

"I just can't believe that Albert and Ava are turning one at the end of the month." said Morgan.

"I know, and I can't believe that next month on the 17th will be two years since I held Piper for the first time." said Spencer.

"Who are you two talking about?" asked Deputy Bennett.

"My wife of over two years and seven months and my three kids." said Spencer.

Morgan pulled over at Joe's Bar and the three men exited the SUV.

"Not too many spots for working girls to go to, so this'll be your best shot." said Deputy Bennett.

"And you turn a blind eye to what goes on in here?" asked Spencer as he walked in step with Bennett.

"Agent, we only got one bar around here. Monday night's karaoke, Tuesday's line dancing, and the girls are discreet. Can't hardly tell the professionals from the locals who just want to get their drink on. Not to mention, we shut this place down, then what?" asked Bennett.

"The devil you know kind of thing." said Morgan.

"Exactly." said Bennett.

A few seconds later they entered the bar and Dinah saw Bennett with two unfamiliar men.

"Deputy." said Dinah.

"Dinah, these two are agents from the FBI. You mind answering some questions?" asked Bennett.

"Don't know much, but sure." said Dinah.

"We're trying to find out more about a woman named Abigail Jones. Did you know her?" asked Spencer as he showed Dinah a picture of Abigail.

"Why you all asking about Abby?" asked one of the men.

Spencer looked over at the men.

"When was the last time you saw her?" asked Spencer.

"Last week. Same bat time, same bat station. She's all right, ain't she?" asked the man.

"No. She was killed a couple of nights ago." said Spencer softly.

"Killed? God almighty." said the man.

"How well did you know her?" asked Spencer.

"Used to flirt. You know. She always said I couldn't handle her. She was right. So I'd buy her drinks. She liked when I buy her drinks." said the man.

"Was she that kind of girl? Party girl, maybe?" asked Morgan.

"It was hard to tell when she was loaded or not. I mean, she was always off. Like she had her own song goin' on in her head." said Dinah.

"Mack the Knife." said Tabitha.

Everyone looked over where Tabitha was sitting, and Morgan went over to her while Spencer continued interviewing Dinah and the two men.

"Let me ask you, did Abigail come in often? Was she a regular customer?" asked Spencer.

For the next two minutes Spencer continued asking questions, and when Morgan came over to him he decided to ask one more question.

"One last question. Do either of these two people look familiar to you?" asked Spencer as he showed the pictures.

"The boy looks familiar. The girl I never seen." said Dinah.

"Well, thank you for your time. Would you mind if we came back a little later?" asked Spencer.

"Oh, anytime. Got nothin' to hide." said Dinah.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

"Sorry I couldn't help you none." said Dinah as she watched Deputy Bennett leave with the two agents.

* * *

The following morning Rossi looked at Spencer as he started the SUV.

"How about you take a few minutes to call Olivia and the kids." said Rossi.

"OK." said Spencer as he dialed Olivia's number.

"Good morning Spencer." said Olivia.

"Morning Livy." said Spencer.

"I was just about to call you since Piper wanted to talk to you." said Olivia.

Spencer smiled softly.

"Put her on then." said Spencer.

At that moment Spencer heard Piper's voice.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Are you being a good girl for mommy and grandpa?" asked Spencer.

"I a good girl." said Piper.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hi there Albert." said Spencer.

"Hi daddy." said Ava.

"Hi Ava." said Spencer.

Albert and Ava started babbling while saying words that they mastered, and a minute later Spencer spoke up.

"Well daddy has to hang up." said Spencer.

Olivia took her phone off speaker.

"Stay safe." said Olivia.

"I will try Livy." said Spencer.

"Love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

As soon as Spencer pocketed his phone, Sheriff Coleman looked at him.

"How old are your three kids?" asked Coleman.

"Piper's going to be two on the 17th next month, and Albert and Ava are turning one on the 29th this month." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Rossi was pulling up at the crime scene where they saw officers getting ready to cut the victim down, and Spencer rushed out of the SUV before Rossi could even pull over.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing?!" shouted Spencer as he ran over to the officers.

"Do not disturb the crime scene." said Coleman as he followed Spencer.

"Well, we took a bunch of pictures just like you ordered us to." said Bennett.

"I ordered you not to touch a damn thing." said Coleman.

Spencer looked at Tabitha's body.

"We need to look at this crime scene undisturbed. Do you mind not standing there?" asked an annoyed Spencer.

Bennett listened to Spencer.

"Thanks." said Spencer as he crouched down a bit.

"He's escalated his cuts. They're not only bigger-." said Rossi.

"Cutting was done postmortem. It was the gunshot that killed her." said Spencer.

"How can you tell?" asked Coleman.

"Based on the lack of blood flow and scar tissue. If she were alive when this was done, there would be a lot more blood on her back." said Spencer.

"Which means this wasn't S&M. This was symbolic." said Rossi.

"Symbolic of what?" asked Coleman.

"We're not sure." said Rossi.

Spencer recognized a certain smell as he sniffed the air.

"Can you smell that?" asked Spencer.

Rossi took a few sniffs.

"Lavender." said Rossi.

"That doesn't grow in these parts." said Coleman.

"It's mainly around her legs." said Spencer.

"Why would he do that?" asked Coleman.

"Reid, can you look into it? We can't trust the coroner to follow through." said Rossi.

Spencer looked up at Rossi while remembering the conversation from the evening before.

"Yeah." said Spencer as he stood up to his full height before walking over to the SUV.

* * *

"We believe the unsub we're looking for is a white male in his early 30s. While his M. O. Is that of a sadist, we think there's an underlying pathology of what we call a wound collector." said Hotch.

"What's that?" asked Lorenzana.

"A wound collector is someone who uses a lifetime of sleights, grievances, and wrongs as justification for violence. Examples can be as large-scale as Hitler scapegoating the Jews for the holocaust." said Spencer.

"Or as common as an abusive husband blaming his wife as an excuse to beat her." said JJ.

"This unsub is low key, almost submissive in public. He has to be to attract the prostitutes." said Rossi.

"But his real nature will be revealed in the safety of isolation. This is the type of man who would anonymously express himself online by raging against how these women are filled with disease and filth, how they deserve what's coming to them, probably to cover for the rejection of a woman or spouse who's wronged him." said Spencer.

"Which means the unsub probably has a working-class or part-time job. It gives him the time to plan and execute the murders." said JJ.

"He's strong and good with his hands and probably drives a work truck or large vehicle." said Rossi.

"This allows him to move the bodies and carry the tools for posing his victims." said Alex.

"Tabitha Ryerson tells us he's losing control. He killed her in her home and then transported her body to the woods so he could mutilate her postmortem. The public nature of the display was a message." said Morgan.

"To who?" asked Coleman.

"To us. This is a small town and he knows the FBI is here investigating his crimes. He thinks he showing us that he's smarter than we are." said Spencer.

"He's also showing us his wounds. There's part of him that wants us to stop and punish him for his crimes. Thank you. Excuse me." said Hotch before walking away to answer his phone.

* * *

Spencer approached his teammates and the deputies who were nearby and told them what he found out, and when Hotch saw him motion him to come over he left Carrie to hear what he had to say.

"Guys, I think I know what the lavender on Tabitha Ryerson's legs is about. Have you ever heard of spikenard?" asked Spencer.

"Uh, no." said Bennett.

"It's perfume. It's mentioned in the gospels." said Hotch.

"It's derived from lavender. It's what Mary Magdalene used to wash Jesus' feet with, which tells us that this unsub's message is obviously religious in nature." said Spencer.

"Preacher Mills, maybe. He came forward to volunteer information." said Morgan.

"Well, yesterday he said he'd let us know if he had any more information, but apparently he's changed his mind." said Hotch.

"He fits the profile. He's morally rigorous, submissive in public." said JJ.

"So we'll put an APB out for him." said Coleman.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan were talking to Linda at the church.

"I haven't seen the preacher since this morning. He was talking to one of those girls." said Linda.

"Do you know if she's still here?" asked Morgan.

"I think she slipped out. Her name was Belinda." said Linda.

"Do you mind if we check the back?" asked Spencer.

"Oh, no." said Linda as she led Spencer to the room.

* * *

Spencer stood with his arms crossed.

"This guy fits to a "T". How can we rule him out?" asked Coleman.

"Criminally, pimps follow the same behavioral pattern as drug dealers." said Rossi.

"Prostitutes are his revenue stream." said JJ.

"He would only kill them as a last resort." said Spencer.

"Which is why the cutting in Canada was a punishment, not a religious punishment, but a punishment for not doing their jobs." said Alex.

"Then he comes here to start over, set up a new shop." said Morgan.

"And that's when somebody found out about his past, used it as a forensic countermeasure to throw us off track by framing him." said JJ.

"That's why the girls kept saying, "they're" after us. There wasn't a team of unsubs, but one sadist copying the behavior of another." said Hotch.

"It would also explain the change with Tabitha, the escalation, the perfume on the feet." said Spencer.

"But you said the unsub wanted us to catch him and punish him." said Coleman.

"What he really wanted was for us to catch the preacher." said Rossi.

"So whoever this guy is, he's fooled all of us, and now we got nothin' when it comes to the profile." said Coleman.

"No, that's not true. The unsub chose Mills for a reason, and Mills can still lead us to the unsub. We'll have agent Morgan and the deputies start at his house." said Hotch.

An hour later Spencer's phone vibrated, and he saw a text message from Olivia.

DO YOU HAVE TIME TO SKYPE BEFORE YOUR DAD AND I PUT THE KIDS TO BED? THE KIDS AND I ARE BY MY LAPTOP RIGHT NOW. ~ OR

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Livy's wondering if I have time to Skype." said Spencer.

"Go ahead and take a few minutes." said Hotch.

Spencer grabbed his tablet from his messenger bag, found a quiet corner when he could Skype and a few minute later he smiled when he saw Olivia and the kids.

"Hey guys." said Spencer.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Daddy." said Albert.

"Daddy." said Ava.

"I miss you, daddy." said Piper.

"I miss all four of you." said Spencer before seeing that his three babies were in their pajamas, "Are you three munchkins about to go to bed?"

"Yes." said Piper.

"Ya." said Albert.

"Ya." said Ava.

At that moment Spencer stared reciting a childhood classic bedtime story to Piper, Albert, and Ava even though a few officers and his teammates were watching, and when he was finished reciting the book he looked at Piper, Albert, and Ava and noticed that their eyes were drooping.

"Daddy loves you three." said Spencer.

"Well I'm going to sign off so your father and I can take them to bed. I love you." said Olivia.

"I love you too Olivia." said Spencer before signing off.

* * *

Coleman walked into the room talking into the radio.

"Copy, deputy. We're on our way. We got him." said Coleman.

"All right, Blake, you and Reid go with the sheriff. Dave and I will coordinate the response here." said Hotch.

A few minutes later Spencer had a Kevlar vest on and was heading to the diner with Alex and Coleman, and he tried to call Preacher Mills from the back seat of a cop car.

"The preacher's not answering." said Spencer.

"Keep trying. We need to tell him we know he didn't do this." said Alex.

Spencer tried calling Preacher Mills again, and a short while later they were meeting up with the others.

"He's been in there a good 5 minutes now. I haven't seen any movement yet." said Lorenzana.

"What about patrons?" asked Spencer.

"Uh, it's closed." said Lorenzana.

"How many entrances?" asked Alex.

"Two, it looks like." said Lorenzana.

"The question is, is he alone?" asked Alex.

Bennett saw Preacher Mills grab a gun.

"Guys, I've got movement. We should move in now, sheriff." said Bennett.

"Actually, we're better off establishing the perimeter first. Then we can open up a line of communication." said Spencer.

"All right, agreed. We need to get around-" said Coleman before he got shot in the chest.

"Shots fired! Shots fired!" shouted Bennett as everyone ducked for cover while firing back.

As Alex tried to grab Coleman, Spencer quickly got up and tried to bring Alex to safety.

"Blake!" shouted Spencer as he pushed Alex out of the way before feeling a sharp pain in his neck, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Reid!" shouted Morgan as he made his way over and dragged him out of the line of fire before leaning him against a police van.

Spencer rested his right hand on his neck, and when he saw all the blood he realized the it didn't look good while blearily seeing one of the deputies walk past him before Alex approached him and applied pressure.

"We need a medic now! There's too much blood!" shouted Alex before looking at Spencer who was getting weaker, "Hey. Hey, you're doing great, all right? Yeah. You gotta stay right here for Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava, OK? Eyes on me. Eyes on me. Yeah."

Spencer felt himself fading.

"No, no. No. Ethan? Ethan! Open your eyes. Hurry! Hurry!" shouted Alex.

"Livy." whispered Spencer.

A minute later paramedics came over and looked at Alex.

"Where was he shot?" asked a female paramedic.

"GSW to the neck." said Alex.

The paramedics started bandaging Spencer's neck, and a few minutes later Spencer felt himself being lifted onto a gurney while taking note of his wedding band.

"Is his wife here in Texas?" asked a paramedic.

"Spencer and his wife resides in Washington DC, and someone will call her." said Alex.

"Any medical conditions we should know about?" asked a paramedic.

"He's highly allergic to beta lactams and doesn't want any narcotics." said Alex as she pulled out her phone to call Hotch.

Alex called Hotch and told her that someone is going to need to contact Olivia, causing Hotch to call Cruz and Garcia and tell them about Spencer, Morgan, and Coleman as she watched Spencer be loaded into the ambulance before Morgan got in.

* * *

As Garcia and Cruz were heading to the elevator, the elevator door opened revealing Olivia who was carrying a Tupperware container.

"I decided to bring you some of tonight's dinner, Penelope." said Olivia.

Garcia and Cruz exchanged glances as they realized that now they can get to Texas faster instead of driving to DC to pick up Olivia.

"I was just about to call you, Olivia, since we were going to come pick you up." said Garcia.

Olivia noticed the distressed looks on Cruz's and Garcia's faces as Cruz quickly guided Olivia to the closest seat to sit down.

"Is Spencer OK?" choked Olivia as Garcia sat next to her.

"Your husband got shot, and he's on his way to the hospital. As next of kin, they are going to call you and have you come out there." said Cruz as he sent Hotch a text message while Garcia started to comfort a now sobbing Olivia.

MRS. REID JUST SHOWED UP, AND MS. GARCIA AND I JUST TOLD HER THAT SHE'S COMING DOWN WITH US. ~ MC

Cruz pocketed his phone and looked at the two women who were near him.

"We have to get going, and I do wish that we could have met under better circumstances, Mrs. Reid." said Cruz as he helped Olivia get up.

"It's going to be OK, sweetie. Your husband is a fighter since he has survived much worse, and when he wakes up in that hospital bed we can yell at him together about staying safe in the field." said Garcia as she wrapped an arm around Olivia and they headed towards the elevators.

* * *

Meanwhile in the ambulance, Spencer was seeing light above him and he saw Morgan sitting on the bench near him, making him decide that he needed to tell Morgan that he saw Deputy McGregor walk past him.

"The sound is like a teakettle. Do you hear it?" asked Spencer as he continued to feel weaker.

"What? Reid." said Morgan as a paramedic worked on his arm.

At that moment the monitors that were already attached to him started beeping wildly.

"Pressure's dropping. Pulse is thready. Starting large-bore IV." said the male paramedic who was attending to him.

"Reid!" shouted Morgan as he tried to get over to Spencer so he could hold his hand.

"Agent, you've got to sit back." said the female paramedic.

"You gotta help him, man. He has a wife and kids to go home to." said Morgan before looking at Spencer, "Kid, come on, now. Stay with me. I'm right here. Reid. Reid! Stay with me for Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava."

Spencer felt an IV being put in him as he closed his eyes.

* * *

As Rossi drove him and Hotch to the hospital, Rossi looked at Hotch who was reading a text message from Garcia.

OLIVIA'S HYSTERICAL RIGHT NOW, AND I'M NOT SURE IF SHE WILL BE ABLE TO CALL WILLIAM AND TELL HIM WHAT'S GOING ON OR TO CALL FOR SOME BACK UP FOR THE KIDS. ~ PG

"You should probably call Jessica and ask her to go over to the Reid family home so she can help out with the kids. William doesn't have to deal with a 22 month old and two 11 month olds on his own." said Rossi.

"I was already planning on it." said Hotch as he dialed Jessica's number.

"Are you guys on your way home Aaron?" asked Jessica.

"No, but Spencer and Derek both got shot so we're going to be here a bit longer." said Hotch.

"Are they OK?" asked Jessica.

"Spencer's gun shot wound is more serious than Derek's is, and Olivia's on her way down here with Penelope and Chief Cruz." said Hotch.

"So William's all alone with the babies?" asked Jessica as she thought about how she fell in love with Spencer's children right away.

"Yes, and I was hoping that you and Jack would head over to the Reids and help William out with the kids." said Hotch.

"I was going to suggest that Jack and I head over there to help out William. Does William know about his son yet?" asked Jessica as she started to pack a bag.

"He doesn't know yet, but I will let him know that you're on your way to help him out with the kids." said Hotch.

"Well I have to get going so I can head on over to the Reids, and please keep me updated on their conditions." said Jessica.

"I promise." said Hotch before hanging up.

Rossi looked at Hotch.

"Going to call William now?" asked Rossi.

"I am, and this is one of the many reasons why I'm glad that Reid reconnected with his father just in case something happens to either of them." said Hotch as he dialed William's cellphone number.

"Is everything OK?" asked William.

"Has Olivia called or text you yet?" asked Hotch.

"She hasn't, and I'm still awake waiting for her to come home." said William.

"Are you sitting down?" asked Hotch.

Hotch heard some rustle.

"I am now. What is going on?" asked William.

"Your son got shot in the line of duty, and Olivia's currently on her way down here with Penelope and Chief Cruz since she's Spencer's next of kin and medical power of attorney." said Hotch.

"Is Spencer going to be OK?" choked William.

"We're hoping that he will survive since he has always been a fighter, and Jessica and Jack are on their way over so you don't have to deal with the kids alone. Olivia will keep you updated with Spencer's condition, but don't go making phone calls to family members in Las Vegas until Olivia knows Spencer's condition." said Hotch before hanging up.

Rossi looked at Hotch.

"Knowing Reid, he's going to fight to stay alive since he's too young to die." said Rossi.

* * *

Alex looked at the receptionist after she handed her the paperwork that she had to fill out.

"Mrs. Reid is on her way. So I hope that you guys won't mind if I hang onto Spencer's personal belongings and give them to her." said Alex.

The receptionist nodded as she handed Alex a patient bag, and a short while later she was meeting up with JJ in the waiting room.

"Anything yet?" asked JJ.

"No." said Alex as she pulled Spencer's wedding band from the patient bag.

"Spence would have read like two books by now. Maybe 3." said JJ as she sat across from Alex and saw her look at the wedding band.

"It should have been me." said Alex as she wondered if Olivia was going to be a widow in the next few hours.

"Or me or any of us." said JJ.

"No. He pushed me out of the way. If he doesn't make it-." said Alex as she was about to bring up Olivia.

"He'll make it. He has to since Olivia and the kids needs him." said JJ.

"He has to. He's just-he's too young." said Alex as she thought about Spencer being only 32 years old.

"Yeah, there's still things for him to do." said JJ as she took a breath before speaking again, "Like have another baby with Olivia and walk Piper and Ava down the wedding aisle." said JJ.

Alex laughed.

"He said that they are not allowed to start dating until they're 30. Piper, Albert, and Ava are lucky to have him as a father." said Alex.

"No doubt. Piper and Ava have Spence wrapped around their little fingers." said JJ.

At that moment Alex and JJ heard footsteps and saw a red eyed Olivia coming forward with Garcia who was holding her hand with Cruz behind them.

"Hey." said Garcia as she hugged JJ while Alex made her way over to Olivia and passed her Spencer's wedding band and patient bag.

"It turns out you made it." said JJ as she watched Olivia slip Spencer's wedding band onto her thumb to keep it close to her.

"Yeah, it turns out that we're not the only one that's connected and he knows somebody with a plane." said Garcia as she hugged Alex.

"How is he?" asked Olivia and Garcia in unison.

Alex looked at Cruz, Olivia, and Garcia.

"Still in surgery." said Alex as Greg Baylor approached them.

"You all can see agent Morgan now." said Baylor.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd really like to stay here with Olivia." said Alex.

JJ stood up and looked at Alex.

"The second you hear anything, call me." said JJ.

Garcia looked at Olivia as she hugged her.

"Hey. I'll be right back." said Garcia.

A teary eyed Olivia nodded as Alex wrapped an arm around her, causing Olivia to rest her head on Alex's shoulder.

* * *

Olivia and Alex were pacing the waiting room when Dr. Wolfe came in.

"Mrs. Reid?" asked Dr. Wolfe.

Olivia stepped forward and Alex looked at Dr. Wolfe.

"Doctor, this is Mrs. Olivia Reid." said Alex.

Olivia looked at Dr. Wolfe.

"You can tell her whatever you're going to tell me." said Olivia.

"How is he?" asked Alex.

Olivia and Alex held their breaths while they waited for the verdict.

"Incredibly lucky. Two millimeters to the right and the bullet would have torn through the carotid artery. It nicked some smaller vessels, but we've stopped the bleeding." said Dr. Wolfe.

Olivia and Alex released their breaths as Olivia hugged Dr. Wolfe.

"Thank you." said Olivia.

"You can see your husband now." said Dr. Wolfe.

Alex looked at Olivia.

"How about you follow him, and I will call JJ." said Alex.

"OK." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Olivia saw her husband laying in a hospital bed and gasped when she saw the bandage around his neck.

"Oh, Spencer." choked Olivia as she rushed over to the chair by her husband's bed and quickly put her husband's wedding band back in the right place.

At that moment Alex and Garcia came into the room and they gasped when they saw the bandage around Spencer's neck. Garcia grabbed the Dr. Who figurines she brought and started putting them on the rolling hospital tray.

"Really, Penelope?" asked Olivia.

"The last time he had surgery I couldn't decorate his room since he went home the same day." said Garcia before continuing, "It'll be so great if he wakes up... and this is the first thing he sees after seeing your smiling face, Olivia." said Garcia as she added a photo of the kids to the table.

Alex looked at Olivia.

"Yeah. You, the kids, and the good doctor will always make him smile." said Alex.

Olivia, Alex, and Garcia watched Spencer sleep.

"It'd be really weird if he wakes up and we're all-ooh- staring at him." said Garcia as she pointed to the area that she was going to stand by, "So, I'm gonna go stand over here."

"As soon as he wakes up, I am going to be telling him he's now in my dog house." said Olivia as she took hold of her husband's hand before finding one of the books she got Spencer for his 31st birthday.

"He mentioned that book is his favorite birthday present from you." said Alex as she looked at the book that was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

"He told me that he carries that book with him everywhere." said Olivia as she started to read out loud.

After reading a few chapters, Olivia set the book down and took hold of her husband's hand.

"Wake up when you're ready, Spencer." whispered Olivia as she gently stroked her husband's hair.

At that moment Olivia felt her hand being squeezed.

"Spencer?" asked Olivia.

Spencer opened his eyes and blearily saw the smiling face of Olivia.

"Hey." murmured Olivia.

"Hey yourself." croaked Spencer as he saw the smiling faces of Olivia, Garcia, and Alex.

Olivia reached for the small cup of ice.

"Open up your mouth." said Olivia.

Spencer opened his mouth and sighed in relief when he felt the ice cube melt in his mouth.

"Thank you, love." said Spencer.

Olivia grabbed her husband's glasses from the rolling table.

"Here's your glasses since they had to remove your contacts." said Olivia as she threaded Spencer's glasses onto the bridge of his nose.

Spencer blinked a few times to allow his vision to adjust.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

"I thought that you promised me that you would stay safe?" asked Olivia as she wiped a lone tear.

"I tried, and I promise that I will be careful the next time." said Spencer.

"You better since you have the kids and me to think about, but it's a good thing you angled your body because if that bullet hit two millimeters to the right you would have died." said Olivia as tears started streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry Livy." said Spencer.

"It's OK Spencer, but the kids are going to freak out when they see the bandage on your neck." said Olivia as she stroked her husband's hair.

"I know Livy." said Spencer.

Olivia pressed the call button to alert the nurse that Spencer's awake.

"Hey." said Garcia as she stepped over.

"You flew down because of me?" asked Spencer.

"Chief Cruz flew out too since the case if far from over." said Garcia.

A few minutes later a nurse came into the room, and after asking Spencer a few questions she left the room and Spencer looked at Garcia.

"Can I have some jell-o?" asked Spencer.

"I will go get it for you sweet cheeks, but I am going to get you some broth too." said Garcia before she kissed his forehead and left the room.

Olivia lightly giggled as she used a tissue to wife off the lipstick stain.

A few minutes later Spencer looked at Alex and Olivia.

Spencer looked at Alex and Olivia.

"When this comes off, I'm gonna look just like Boris Karloff." said Spencer.

"Yeah. A little green makeup and you'll have the best Halloween mask ever." said Alex.

"I guess we can do a Frankenstein theme for this year." said Olivia as she briefly kissed her husband on the lips.

Spencer flashed back to seeing Deputy McGregor walk past him.

"Everybody's fine. Don't worry." said Alex.

"I'm not." said Spencer.

"You've got that furrowed brow." said Alex.

Before Spencer could respond, Garcia came into the room with some food and juice.

"Hey, hey, hey. Will you look who's still awake." said Garcia as she looked at Spencer, "Can you tell her she can go now, please?"

"I'm OK, Alex. Go help the team since I will be fine with Garcia and Olivia." said Spencer as he used his eyes on Alex.

Alex shook her head.

"All right. I'm out of here. I'm glad you're awake." said Alex as she squeezed Spencer's hand.

"Thank you." whispered Spencer.

Alex left the room while Garcia moved stuff around on the tray that was in front of Spencer..

"Ok. Juice, broth, or jell-o!" said an excited Garcia as she rested a spoon on top of the jell-o.

"Jell-o, my favorite." said Spencer as he worked on reaching for the jell-o as Olivia grabbed it.

"I'm feeding you and no arguing since you took care of me after the twins were born." said Olivia.

"Yes, mom." joked Spencer.

Olivia lightly rolled her eyes while Garcia smiled at the cuteness she was witnessing and continued her phone call with JJ as she watched Olivia feed her husband.

* * *

Garcia quickly entered the room and locked the door, causing Olivia to look at Garcia who had her phone on speaker at Morgan's request.

"Ok, I did that. Now what?" asked Garcia.

"I need you and Olivia to focus and I need you both to listen to me. Can you do that?" asked Morgan.

"Yes." said Olivia.

"Yes, yes, I can do that. I can do that." said Garcia.

"Is there a wheelchair in the room?" asked Morgan.

Olivia pointed to where the wheelchair was as she started to rouse her husband.

"Um... Yes." said Garcia.

"Good. Get Reid in it." said Morgan.

"That is not gonna be easy." said Garcia.

"Then get his patient bag. His gun is in there." said Morgan.

Olivia and Garcia looked at he patient bag.

"Oh, my God. What?" asked Garcia.

"I need you to get out in that hallway." said Morgan.

"Ok." said Garcia.

Garcia looked at Olivia who was now helping Spencer get out of bed.

"We're going on a little trip." said Garcia as she pushed the wheelchair over to Spencer and less than a minute later Olivia was pushing her husband out of the room with Garcia in tow.

Garcia pointed to where McGregor was as Olivia pushed her husband faster while Spencer gripped his neck.

"I knew I should have handled this myself." said McGregor.

Garcia pushed the fire alarm, causing Olivia to smirk at her.

"I was just about to do that." said Olivia over the ringing.

* * *

Olivia looked at her husband after she covered him up.

"Derek's going to be here soon." said Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer.

"I'm going to head down to the cafeteria and get myself come coffee. Would you like some jell-o?" asked Olivia.

"Yes please." said Spencer.

Olivia left the room, and a few minutes later Garcia looked at Spencer.

"You OK?" asked Garcia.

"Yeah. I'm just really tired." said Spencer.

"Of course you are. You need to get some sleep." said Garcia as a male nurse entered the room, "Oh, but how can you sleep? 'Cause you're in a hospital where people are always poking you."

Greg pulled out some antibiotics.

"He had his meds an hour ago." said Garcia.

"Yeah, post-op antibiotics." said Greg as he drew Carbenicillian from a vial.

"Yeah, he had those, too." said Garcia.

Spencer knew it was the endgame that they were warned about since his allergy to beta lactams is mentioned in his medical file while being glad that Olivia wasn't in the room at the moment.

"Which ones?" asked Spencer as he tried to look at the vial. "Carbenicillian? No, that's not right. I have a severe reaction to beta lactams. I can't have that." said Spencer as he worked on getting out of bed.

Greg checked Spencer's medical chart.

"That's not in your chart." said Baylor.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?" asked Spencer as he worked on removing his IV before slapping the needle out of Baylor's hand and seeing the gun that Baylor had tucked behind his pants, "Garcia! He has a gun!" shouted Spencer.

Garcia grabbed Spencer's revolver from the patient bag, and a few seconds later she shot Baylor as Morgan started coming towards Spencer's hospital room.

"He's moving. Ok. I didn't know how loud. I can't hear, 'cause my heart feels like it's gonna come out. Can that happen? Physically, can your heart burst out of your chest? And what is this ringing? My ears don't pop for like a week after I fly, and if this is like that, that's gonna drive me bonkers. Am I yelling? Because it feels like I might be yelling." said a freaked out Garcia as nurses helped Morgan out with Baylor.

"You saved my life. Can you hear me?" asked an out of breath Spencer.

"Yeah, I heard that. That makes it better. Thank you for saying that." said Garcia.

"Thank you for doing it." said Spencer as he pulled Garcia into a hug.

"Uh-huh. Ok. You're OK. Ok." said Garcia as Morgan saw Olivia rushing towards the room.

"What happened?" asked Olivia as she saw the nurse from earlier.

Garcia released Spencer.

"He tried to inject beta lactams into your husband, and I shot him." said Garcia.

"Thank you for saving my husband." said Olivia as she hugged Garcia.

"I would do anything to keep the father of my godchildren safe." said Garcia.

At that moment a nurse looked at Spencer, Olivia, and Garcia as she fixed Spencer's IV.

How would you three like to be transported to a safer room?" asked the nurse as a ranger entered the room.

"Yes, please." said Spencer.

10 minutes later Spencer, Olivia, and Garcia were in a different hospital room while a ranger stood outside the doorway.

"Get some sleep, Spencer." said Olivia.

"Only if you join me." said Spencer as he patted the empty space beside him.

Two minutes later Spencer and Olivia were asleep in Spencer's hospital bed.

* * *

The following evening Olivia and Garcia were getting something to eat while Alex was keeping Spencer company.

"You sure you're OK?" asked Alex when she noticed that Spencer's bandage was changed for a much smaller one.

"I feel great." said Spencer before feeling some pain, "Ah, that's overselling it. I, uh, I feel great considering I just got shot in the neck."

Spencer noticed that Alex looked a bit sad.

"You all right?" asked Spencer.

"Yesterday touched a nerve when I saw you like that." said Alex.

Spencer thought back to when Alex was begging him to stay awake.

"Who's Ethan?" asked Spencer.

"My son. He was 9 when he died. Doctors said it was neurological, but they didn't have a name for it. Still don't. That drove me crazy. No word to put to this thing that took away my greatest love." said Alex.

"I'm sorry." said Spencer softly as he thought back to how close he was to losing Piper when she was in the hospital for Kawasaki Disease.

"He kept growing despite his disease. The last time I lay beside him he was almost as long as me. He was ready to go. But I wasn't ready to say good-bye. I begged him to open his eyes. And the cruelest part was that I could see who he would be at 20, but I knew he'd never get there." said Alex.

"Ethan is a great name." said Spencer softly.

"Yeah. It means enduring." said Alex.

"It's fitting. You and James never let go of one another." said Spencer.

"And you and Olivia have survived being married for over two and a half years and three kids already." said Alex.

"Have you ever had that feeling that your future is somehow behind you?" asked Spencer.

"All the time." said Alex.

"I did, too since I thought that I would never settle down, get married, and have kids until Olivia entered my life." said Spencer.

"Ethan would have been a lot like you." said Alex.

"Thank you for being there when I woke up. That meant a lot." said Spencer.

"Of course." said Alex.

Spencer looked at Alex and saw a certain look in her eyes.

"I take it you're planning on going to be with James." said Spencer.

"This case has been the last straw, and seeing you with Olivia makes me really miss being with James." said Alex.

"I understand that you want to go be with your husband, but I still want you to come to DC and visit since Piper, Albert, and Ava love you." said Spencer.

"And I want you to come up to Boston and guest lecture for me, and I am still going to be a big part of Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's lives since they are the grandchildren that I imagine Ethan would have given me if he lived." said Alex.

"With you being like a second mother to me, why don't I have my kids call you grandma." said Spencer.

Alex laughed, and a minute later Garcia and Olivia came into the room with a nurse.

"The others except Hotch are already heading to the airstrip." said Garcia.

"I'm going to help my husband get dressed so we need some privacy." said Olivia.

Garcia and Alex left the room, and after Spencer's IV was removed the nurse exited the room so Olivia could help her husband get dressed.

"Would you believe it that I prefer you undressing me than helping me get dressed." said Spencer.

A giggling Olivia blushed while she helped Spencer get dressed, and as soon as she helped Spencer pull on his sweater she looked at the closed door.

"Spencer's decent now." said Olivia.

Alex and Garcia came into the room and saw Spencer wearing slacks, a button up shirt, and a sweater while Olivia was slipping her husband's converse sneakers onto his feet before tying them.

As soon as Olivia stood up to her full height, Garcia looked at her.

"I have your husband's discharge papers ready to go." said Garcia.

Olivia signed the papers while Spencer slowly stood up.

"Oh, not so fast." said Alex as she wheeled the wheelchair over.

Spencer looked at his smirking wife before looking at Garcia.

"Really?" asked Spencer as Olivia took a hold of his arm.

"Uh huh." said Garcia.

"Hospital rules." said Alex.

"The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we get to go home to our kids." said Olivia.

Spencer allowed a smirking Olivia to help him get into the wheelchair while Garcia grabbed his bags and Olivia looked at Alex.

"How about you push while I hold my husband's hand." said Olivia.

"OK." said Alex.

Olivia gripped Spencer's hand as Alex started pushing while Garcia trailed behind them, and a minute later all three women and Spencer were by Hotch.

"You four ready to go?" asked Hotch as he took in the sight of his youngest agent holding his wife's hand while Alex had her hands on the handles of Spencer's wheelchair.

"Just have to hand in Spencer's discharge papers." said Garcia.

"Let me help you with those bags." said Hotch, taking Spencer's messenger bag from Garcia.

"Thanks." said Garcia.

10 minutes later Hotch was helping Spencer get into the front passenger seat of the SUV as Alex, Olivia, and Garcia got into the back seat.

"I will drive as gentle as I can." said Hotch.

"OK, and I am planning on taking a nap during the flight home." said Spencer.

"I told the others to save the couch for you." said Garcia.

"I'm already planning on laying a pillow on my lap so you can rest your head on my lap." said Olivia.

* * *

Olivia was sitting on the couch with her husband's head laying on her lap under a few pillows stroking his hair as she heard her husband's teammates talk, and a few minutes later Cruz and Garcia were coming by them since there were a few extra seats there.

"How's he doing?" whispered Cruz.

"He's sleeping comfortably." whispered Olivia while she continued to stroke Spencer's growing curls as she watched her husband's face for signs of pain, "At least the kids and I will get to keep him home with us for three months before he returns to work, and we already talked about what we want to do during his medical leave."

"Like take a trip to London and visit Emily and go to Las Vegas to visit Diana." whispered Garcia.

"We talked about spending about six weeks out there after spending the first six weeks in DC since Spencer has a bunch of doctor appointments to attend." whispered Olivia.

"At least you and the kids will keep him from going crazy at home while he's on medical leave." whispered Garcia.

At that moment Spencer opened his eyes, blearily saw his wife and Olivia smiled softly at him.

"Hey." murmured Spencer.

"Hey yourself. How are you feeling?" asked Olivia as she gained attention of the rest of Spencer's teammates since hearing her talk to Spencer made them realize that he's awake.

"Tired." mumbled Spencer.

"We'll be sleeping in our own bed when we get home, but how about you tell me what you want for breakfast tomorrow morning since I'm confining you to our bed for a few days unless it's to shower and go to your follow up doctor appointment." said Olivia.

"Scrambled eggs and pancakes." said Spencer.

"What about toppings?" asked Olivia.

"Just surprise me, and I love you." mumbled Spencer before he fell back asleep.

"Love you too." said Olivia and started to stroke her husband's hair again.

* * *

 _A/N: Spencer and Olivia will be home in the next chapter, and the next few chapters will deal with Spencer's medical leave._


	25. Recovery Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, Hippichic81, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 24._

 _Piper's still 22 months old and the twins are three weeks away from turning one._

 _When I first posted this chapter six hours ago, I didn't even realized that I reposted the chapter that dealt with Final Shot. But now here's the correct chapter, and I'm sorry for reposting chapter four for the chapter that's suppose to be this chapter._

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, and Hotch entered the house just as William exited the kitchen and he worked on holding back his emotion when he saw the gauze wrap on his son's neck.

"Jessica's in the guest bedroom with the queen size bed and Jack is in the room with the two twin sized beds." said William.

"What about Piper, Albert, and Ava?" asked Olivia.

"Jessica and I put them down two hours ago, and if you guys wake them up it would be hard to get them to go back to sleep." said William.

Olivia looked at Hotch.

"Want to stay the night?" asked Olivia.

"Jessica mentioned that she wanted to be here in the morning to help out with the kids just in case you decide to sleep in, so I will share a guest bedroom with Jack just in case you guys need extra help in the morning." said Hotch.

William walked over to his son and pulled him into a hug.

"Glad you're OK Spencer, and I haven't told your mom, aunt, and uncle yet since I thought you should tell them." said William.

Spencer looked into his father's eyes.

"I'm going to be OK, dad." said Spencer.

As soon as Spencer released his father, Olivia looked at her husband.

"Let's get you into bed." said Olivia.

"What are you two wanting for breakfast in the morning?" asked William.

"Scrambled eggs and pancakes." said Olivia.

Spencer looked at his father and Hotch.

"Good night." said Spencer.

Olivia took Spencer's hand, and as they headed up the stairs Olivia looked at her husband while Hotch and William watched the young couple head upstairs.

"That shirt you were wearing yesterday before you got shot was one of my favorite shirts on you, so I am planning on buying you a new one." said Olivia.

"We can buy a new one tomorrow after my follow up doctor appointment." said Spencer.

"If you're feeling up to it, and we can get you a few new shirts too." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Olivia was helping her husband change into his pajamas and looked at him when she heard him wince.

"Will you please take something for the pain?" asked Olivia.

"I'm afraid that I would relapse, and I have way too much to lose." said Spencer.

"I made sure that you weren't given any narcotics, but I really don't want to see you in pain." said Olivia as she held up a bottle of ibuprofen.

"Fine." said Spencer.

A minute later Spencer took the prescribed dosage of ibuprofen, and a few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were laying in bed.

"At least we are still able to sleep in our favorite position." murmured Olivia as she rested her head on Spencer's chest and listened to his heart beat.

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep.

* * *

The following morning Olivia woke to sunlight streaming through their bedroom window and noticed that her husband was still sleeping. After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, she headed downstairs to see Hotch, William, Jessica, Jack, Piper, Albert, and Ava eating breakfast.

"Morning." said Olivia.

Piper's eyes went wide when she saw her mother.

"Mommy!" said Piper.

"Mama." said Albert.

"Mama." said Ava.

Olivia gave Piper, Albert, and Ava a kiss.

"Daddy home?" asked Piper.

"He is, but he's not feeling well so he's still sleeping." said Olivia as she started fixing two plates.

"You're going upstairs to eat?" asked William.

"Yes, and Spencer sees his doctor at 10 AM." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Olivia entered the bedroom and saw her husband waking up.

"How are you feeling?" asked Olivia as she set their breakfast on the nightstand before helping her husband prop himself up against the headboard.

"My neck is in pain." said Spencer as he reached for his glasses and threaded them onto the bridge of his nose.

"Then it's time for you to take some ibuprofen and your antibiotics." said Olivia as she headed to the bathroom where she kept her husband's medication.

"The correct antibiotics?" asked Spencer before he quickly flashed back to when Greg Baylor was trying to inject him with Carbenicillin.

Olivia looked worriedly at her husband who was breathing like someone who was having an asthma attack, causing her to realize that he was having a flashback, making her rest a hand on his left shoulder.

"You're safe here at home and not in the hospital." said Olivia as she kept on repeating the mantra until Spencer was no longer having a flashback.

Spencer blinked a few times and looked at Olivia.

"Welcome back." said Olivia.

"I had a flashback?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Olivia as she grabbed a tissue and wiped the sweat off her husband's forehead, "I have the correct antibiotics."

"Do I have to take antibiotics?" asked Spencer as he glared at the pill bottle that Olivia had on the nightstand with a glass of orange juice.

"You still have a chance of developing an infection. Technically you should still be in the hospital." said Olivia.

"Everyone agreed that they wanted to get out of Texas." said Spencer.

"Will you please take your antibiotics?" asked Olivia.

"Fine." said Spencer.

"And we are definitely going to have to get you to see Dr. Andrews a few times since post traumatic stress disorder has already emerged." said Olivia as she opened up the pill bottle that contained the antibiotics before getting two ibuprofen out of another bottle.

Less than 15 seconds later Spencer had taken his medication, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Let's eat before the food gets cold." said Olivia as she handed her husband his plate.

At that moment Spencer and Olivia started eating their breakfast in bed, and when Olivia was setting the empty tray on the night stand, there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in." said Olivia.

Hotch came into the bedroom and saw that his youngest agent was awake and sitting up in bed.

"How are you feeling, Reid?" asked Hotch.

"Not as tired as I was in the hospital yesterday. But my neck is hurting, but I took some ibuprofen and my antibiotics." said Spencer.

"And he already had a flashback to when he was about to be injected with Carbenicillin so he's definitely going to be meeting with Dr. Andrews a few times for post traumatic stress disorder." said Olivia.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"That's one of the reasons why I want you to take a minimum of three months off so you can see your therapist for possible PTSD without work causing you to cancel appointments." said Hotch.

"And you don't want a repeat of me coming back too soon like I did after Hankel." said Spencer.

"Exactly." said Hotch before looking at the clock on Spencer's night stand, "I'm about to take Jack to school, and Jessica's going to stay here and help out with the kids, cooking, and cleaning today."

"I appreciate her helping us out." said Olivia.

"She cares about you two." said Hotch.

Spencer thought about debriefing since he heard Hotch tell the rest of the team that they were going to have a meeting.

"When is debriefing?" asked Spencer.

"At 1 PM today, and if you're awake and feeling up to it I would like you to conference in via Skype." said Hotch.

"Spencer should be back from his follow up appointment by then." said Olivia.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Good luck with your appointment, and let me know how it went when you conference in today." said Hotch as he patted Spencer's leg.

"Yes, sir." said Spencer.

Hotch left the bedroom, and a few minutes later Olivia was helping her husband take a shower and get dressed.

* * *

Piper looked up at the stairs when she saw her daddy.

"Daddy!" cried Piper.

"Hi there, Goober." said Spencer as he winced at every step he took as he slowly headed down the stairs.

William scooped up Piper to stop her from running into her daddy's legs while Albert and Ava toddled over. All three kids eyes went wide when they saw the white bandage on their daddy's neck before they burst out crying, and a minute later Spencer was sitting in the arm chair with a crying Piper on his lap while Olivia and William soothed the twins.

"It's OK, Piper." soothed Spencer as he rubbed Piper's back, and two minutes later Piper was asleep and so were Albert and Ava.

Olivia looked at her father in law.

"Let's get the kids put to bed, and then Spencer and I have to go to his follow up doctor appointment." said Olivia.

* * *

Spencer was sitting on the exam table while Olivia sat in a nearby chair when Dr. Black entered the room.

"I see that you got into some trouble less than 48 hours ago during a case based on what Dr. Wolfe sent me while you were in the hospital." said Dr. Black when he saw Spencer's bandaged neck.

Spencer gave his doctor a small smile.

"I knew what I signed up for when I joined the FBI, and I sometimes I stay at the police station or field office when my teammates go arrest the suspect." said Spencer.

Dr. Black chuckled before he became serious.

"Let's see how the gun shot wound is doing." said Dr. Black.

Spencer unbuttoned his dress shirt a bit while Dr. Black washed his hands and pulled on latex free gloves.

"I will remove the tape as gently as possible." said Dr. Black as he started working on the medical tape.

Spencer winced a bit when he felt the tape pulled off his skin, and a few minutes later Dr. Black was finished looking over the wound.

"Even though it's been less than 48 hours since you were shot, I don't see any signs of infection developing. So I still want you to continue taking the antibiotics you were prescribed." said Dr. Black as he cleaned the wound before grabbing some clean gauze and redressed it, "You can button up your shirt again, and I take it that you were told to wear button up shirts and avoid wearing a tie until the scar is pretty much healed."

"I was." said Spencer as he buttoned the few buttons he undid for the exam.

Dr. Black looked at Olivia.

"Were you given instructions on wound care yesterday?" asked Dr. Black.

"I was." said Olivia.

"Good." said Dr. Black before looking at Spencer, "I want your next follow up to be in two weeks."

"OK." said Spencer.

"Take it easy for the next few weeks, and you are going to get tired easily until the red blood cells that you lost replenish themselves." said Dr. Black.

"I'm already planning to feed Spencer iron rich foods." said Olivia.

* * *

As they entered Kohls, Olivia quickly grabbed a wheel chair and pushed it over to her husband.

"Sit down." said Olivia.

Spencer sighed as he gingerly sat down in the wheel chair, and a few seconds later Olivia was pushing him towards the men's clothing department.

"Why do I have to be in a wheelchair." grumbled Spencer as he fiddled with his scarf.

"You were swaying on your feet, and you're supposed to take it easy since you just got out of the hospital yesterday evening." said Olivia.

"I'm not going to win?" asked Spencer.

"No you're not, and I am not going to fall to those puppy dog eyes." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were by the dress shirts, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"I think you should get a few button up short sleeve shirts since it's warming up outside." said Olivia as she started going through the shirts on the shelf before finding the shirt that her husband was wearing before he got shot and placed it in the basket that was attached to the wheelchair.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer opened a secure video line on his laptop and a few seconds later he saw his teammates sitting around the round table.

"Hi guys." said Spencer.

Everyone but Hotch and Cruz smiled when they saw Spencer's face on the monitor, causing everyone to greet him.

"How are you feeling, Spence?" asked JJ.

"I'm a bit tired since I had a busy morning with going to my follow up, going to the store with Olivia, and having to call my mom, aunt, and uncle and tell them what happened to me." said Spencer.

"Then we won't try to take too long with this meeting." said Cruz.

"How was your follow up?" asked Hotch.

"According to my primary physician, the wound is healing nicely and there are no signs of infection. I have another follow up in two weeks so hopefully the stitches will be removed that day." said Spencer.

"How did your mom, aunt, and uncle react to the news?" asked Rossi.

"My aunt and uncle offered to fly out right away to help out at home, but I told her that dad, Olivia, the kids and I will be fine until they come out for the twins birthday party in three weeks. And I didn't get to tell my mom since she's on another supervised trip again, but I talked to her doctor and it was decided that I shouldn't tell her I got shot since she's doing very well on the medication she's currently on." said Spencer.

"So you're planning on telling her when you, your father, and the kids head out to Vegas after Piper's birthday?" asked JJ.

"Yes." said Spencer.

"Speaking of kids, how did they react to the bandage?" asked JJ.

"They definitely freaked out, and Livy and I came up with a solution to help put the kids at ease." said Spencer.

"What is the solution?" asked Garcia.

"I am going to wear a scarf around the kids until I can wear a smaller bandage." said Spencer.

"I told Henry that you got hurt, and he's wanting to stop by tonight. I told him that we would only visit you if you're awake and feeling up to it since I told him that you're going to be sleeping a lot during the next few days." said JJ.

"Thank you, but I will try and call him tonight." said Spencer.

Cruz cleared his throat and when everyone focused on him he started speaking.

"You guys are going to be on stand down for the next two weeks since the Director wants you all of you to go through a psych evaluation due to what happened in Texas." said Cruz before looking at Spencer, "And you already know how long you're on medical leave for since Aaron and I talked to you and Olivia yesterday." said Cruz.

"I do." said Spencer.

"And starting in the middle of next month, you guys will be working two agents down." said Cruz.

"Who's leaving this time?" asked Garcia.

"I am." said Alex.

Morgan, JJ, and Garcia looked at Alex in shock while Spencer, Hotch, Rossi, and Cruz didn't react at all since they already knew or had an inkling.

"Why?" asked Garcia.

"These last few cases have taken a toll on me, and I want to go home to James every night instead of trying to catch him on weekends and holidays." said Alex.

Garcia looked at Spencer.

"You're not even reacting." said Garcia.

"Alex told me while you and Olivia went to get something to eat before I was discharged." said Spencer.

"And I told Spencer that I'm going to still going to be part of your lives, even though I will be in Boston." said Alex.

Morgan looked at Hotch and Cruz.

"Are we going to be working in the field two agents down after Blake moves to Boston?" asked Morgan.

"We're not going to be working two agents down since I asked Garrett if we could borrow Simmons for about six weeks starting next month, and after talking to Simmons he agreed to work with us so he can be a bit closer to his wife and kids." said Hotch.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Isn't he hoping that his two sons both end up being Piper's and Ava's future husbands since both boys are around the same ages as Piper, Albert, and Ava?" asked Morgan.

Spencer scowled.

"My daughters are not allowed to date until they're 30." said Spencer before he yawned, "I think I'm going to sign off now since I'm going to go lay down."

"Let Will or me know if you guys need anything." said JJ.

"I think we're covered for now since Jessica mentioned that she's thinking about staying the night again since she has been cooking up a storm and making meals and placing them in the freezer so we can just pop them into the oven or microwave, but if Livy and I need anything we know that we should call you guys." said Spencer before signing off.

* * *

An hour later Olivia was in the living room watching TV while William and Jessica were at the grocery store picking up some groceries for dinner when the phone rang.

"Hey Emily." said Olivia.

"I just got a call from Garcia, and I'm glad that Spencer's going to be OK." said Emily.

"Well hopefully when he goes back to work he will think about staying safer in the field, but with what happened with one of the deputies trying to get into my husband's hospital room and then one of the nurses trying to kill my husband with beta lactams I realized that sometimes I wish that he would work a safer job but I know he loves working for the BAU." said Olivia.

"I sometimes agree with you about wishing that he would work a safer job since he has you, Piper, Albert, and Ava to think about but I know that if he left the BAU it would take the others much longer to solve cases." said Emily.

"Except they are going to be working without him for the next three months, and Aaron decided to hang onto Spencer's work phone until he's cleared to return to work." said Olivia.

"At least you will make sure that he doesn't forge his paperwork to clear himself for the field." said Emily.

Olivia laughed before Emily spoke again.

"What about his gun and badge?" asked Emily.

"Aaron told Spencer that he can hang on to those, and uncle Gordon has an area set up on his ranch that Spencer can actually go practice his shooting." said Olivia.

"So are you and Spencer going to go on an adult only vacation?" asked Emily.

"We are, and we already have our tickets booked." said Olivia.

"Where are you two going?" asked Emily.

"To visit you." grinned Olivia.

"When are you and Spencer coming to London?" asked Emily.

Olivia gave Emily the dates.

"I have a very good guest bedroom that you and Spencer can stay in." said Emily.

"Rossi already paid for the plane tickets and hotel room since everyone mentioned that Spencer and I deserve a vacation of our own." said Olivia.

"Where is Spencer right now?" asked Emily.

"He's sleeping right now since his doctor mentioned that he's going to be tired a lot while his body replenishes the red blood cells that he lost." said Olivia.

"Am I talking to Spencer?" asked Emily.

"No, but even though I am a math genius, I still had interests in science since I enjoyed taking biology, chemistry, and physics in high school." said Olivia.

Emily laughed.

"Why don't I hear the kids voices?" asked Emily.

"They are also taking naps even though Piper demanded to sleep with Spencer." said Olivia.

"Awww." said Emily.

"Piper, Albert, and Ava really freaked out when they saw the bandage on Spencer's neck, but when we got home from Spencer's follow up Piper's been clingy to him while making sure that she doesn't touch the bandage and the twins are a bit wary of being around him." said Olivia.

"At least having Spencer home for three months will help the kids know that their daddy's going to be OK." said Emily.

Olivia took a peek at the iPad that was set in front of her and saw both Albert and Ava standing in their cribs.

"Albert and Ava just woke up from their naps, so I have to get going." said Olivia.

"Tell Spencer that I wish him a speedy recovery and that I will be in DC for the twins birthday party." said Emily before hanging up.

* * *

The following evening Spencer was sitting in the library reading when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." said Spencer.

The door opened, and Spencer's eyes went wide when he saw his sponsor enter the room and closed the door.

"You heard about what happened in Texas?" asked Spencer.

"Already read the report, and I thought a house call might be a good idea since you're not in the condition to come to tonight's meeting." said John.

"I appreciate you making the trip here, even though I have your personal number." said Spencer.

John took a seat across from Spencer as he took note of Spencer's appearance, noting the white bandage on his neck and noting how pale he is from the blood loss.

"How are you feeling?" asked John.

"Tired, but I know that I'm going to be tired for awhile due to all the blood I lost." said Spencer softly.

"You're definitely going to be pale for awhile." said John before continuing, "What about pain levels?"

"I am dealing with pain right now, but ibuprofen is one of the strongest medications I'm willing to take while performing the breathing techniques that I learned after getting shot in the knee." said Spencer.

"Were you given narcotics at the hospital?" asked John.

"No, but I know that you probably read that one of the nurses was ordered by McGregor to inject me with Carbenicillin." said Spencer.

"Which your deathly allergic to." said John.

"Exactly." said Spencer.

"Antibiotics are drugs that you can't avoid since you're at risk from developing an infection as your gun shot wound heals, but there are antibiotics that you're able to take without developing an allergic reaction." said John.

"Except I already had a flashback yesterday morning when Olivia told me that it was time to take my antibiotics since Baylor was providing drugs for the trafficking ring." said Spencer.

"I'm not even surprised that you're already dealing with post traumatic stress disorder symptoms." said John before becoming serious, "Are you craving for Dilaudid despite the pain your in?"

"Not yet, and I'm a month a way from being seven years sober." said Spencer.

"Good, but it might be helpful for you to attend meetings when you have more energy to stay awake longer." said John.

"Livy and I have been talking about me attending meetings for the next six weeks even though I'm on medical leave for three months." said Spencer.

"Why six weeks?" asked John.

"My dad, Olivia, the kids and I are heading out to Vegas shortly after Piper's second birthday since Livy convinced me that we should go to my 20 year high school reunion that's happening in less than seven weeks, and we are going to be there for about six weeks to spend time with my mom, aunt, uncle, and cousin." said Spencer.

"What else are you going to be doing during your time off?" asked John.

"During the second half of my medical leave, Livy and I are going to be heading to London for an adult only vacation for a week while my dad and the kids stay in Vegas due to my mom, aunt, and uncle." said Spencer.

"That should be fun." said John.

"Emily's excited about Olivia and I coming out to visit." said Spencer.

John looked at the clock before looking at Spencer.

"Well I have to go home to my wife for dinner before I head over to Beltway Clean Cops, and you have my personal number just in case you need to talk." said John.

"Hopefully I will be up to attending a meeting in two weeks since I should have the stitches out by then." said Spencer.

"Let me know if you're going to come so I can pick you up." said John.

"I will." said Spencer.

John left the room, and a few minutes later Olivia entered the library and looked at her husband.

"How was your talk with your sponsor?" asked Olivia.

"It helped, and I'm glad that he decided to make a house call since I was planning on calling him." said Spencer.

"I'm glad talking to John helped." said Olivia.

Spencer's stomach growled and Olivia laughed.

"Let's head downstairs since dinner will be done in 15 minutes." said Olivia.

"I thought that I'm confined to our bed or sitting in here?" asked Spencer.

"JJ, Will, and Henry are joining us for dinner." said Olivia.

"Then let's head downstairs." said Spencer.

Olivia helped her husband stand up, and a short while later Henry was hugging his godfather before everyone sat down for dinner. After JJ, Will, and Henry left, everyone including William settled into the living room to watch Piper's favorite movie "Frozen" before bedtime.


	26. Recovery Part 2 & The Twins Turn 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 25.

Even though Albert and Ava were born on May 29th, Spencer and Olivia decided that they would throw the twins birthday party on Saturday May 31st.

Depending how much time I get to write this week I might get one more chapter posted before Thursday since I'm leaving to attend the annual Autism Society of Wisconsin Spring Conference at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells this Thursday.

* * *

Hotch was working on paperwork from their most recent case in his office when there was a knock on his open door, and he noticed it was Gideon.

"Even though you decided to retire again to do some traveling, why are you here?" asked Hotch.

"I thought that I would come here, say hi to the team and see if Spencer wanted to play a game of chess during lunch, but I was surprised that he wasn't at his desk and bags aren't under his desk. Did he decide to take some time off so he, Olivia, and the kids could go to Vegas to visit his mom, aunt, and uncle?" asked Gideon as he came into the office and sat down in front of Hotch.

"No, but I was already on planning on calling you today since we're on mandatory stand down for two weeks due to the last case we dealt with five days ago." said Hotch.

"What happened?" asked Gideon.

Hotch explained what happened in Texas, and when he was finished Gideon looked at him.

"Is Spencer OK?" asked Gideon.

"When Jack and I were over there for dinner last night he was looking much better than he was in the hospital, but with all the blood he lost he's very pale and having to deal with energy problems." said Hotch.

"What about emotionally?" asked Gideon.

"He's already dealing with PTSD since he had a flashback the morning after he got out of the hospital when Olivia told him that it's time to take his antibiotics. And last night Spencer told me that he saw his psychologist yesterday." said Hotch.

"How long is he on medical leave for?" asked Gideon.

"Three months, and he didn't even argue." said Hotch.

"I'm glad you're making sure that his return to the team doesn't happen like his return did after Hankel." said Gideon.

"He has Olivia and the kids to think about, and since he married Olivia and becoming a father he has been making sure to be more careful in the field. But I know that with this last case, we didn't even know that we would be dealing with a corrupt police force that would be willing to kill us to hide what they were doing like we didn't realize that Hankel was the unsub until after I sent Reid and JJ out there." said Hotch.

"Is he going to be spending the next three months in DC while he recovers?" asked Gideon.

"Spencer, Olivia, William, and the kids are going to stay in DC until after Piper's second birthday next month due to all the doctor appointments that Spencer has to go to." said Hotch.

"Where are they traveling to after Piper's party?" asked Gideon.

"They are going to drive out to Vegas where they will stay for six weeks so Diana can spend more time with her grandchildren since she's been doing very well lately." said Hotch.

"Six weeks in the desert should do him some good." said Gideon.

"I agree, and Spencer and Olivia already booked plane tickets for a trip to London to visit Emily." said Hotch.

"When are they going to London?" asked Gideon.

"Spencer's and Olivia's trip to London will happen during those six weeks in Vegas, and William and the kids will stay in Vegas." said Hotch.

"What else aren't you telling me?" asked Gideon.

"After Piper's birthday party Blake is resigning and moving to Boston to be with her husband. I know that she could have done it right away, but I'm glad that she's staying here for a bit longer so I'm not two agents down." said Hotch.

"So are you guys going to be two agents down until Spencer comes back?" asked Gideon.

"Simmons from Garrett's team will be joining us on cases." said Hotch.

Gideon looked at the clock.

"Do you think I should go visit Spencer this afternoon?" asked Gideon.

"Olivia and Spencer requested that before any of us visit, we should call first just in case Spencer's sleeping or they are at one of his doctor appointments when any of us decide to stop by." said Hotch as his phone vibrated and he saw a picture message from Olivia.

EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN FIVE DAYS SINCE SPENCER GOT HURT, PIPER'S STILL VERY CLINGY TO HIM. ~ OR

"What is it?" asked Gideon.

"I don't think Spencer would be happy if he sees this picture, but Olivia loves taking pictures like this to show off how he's a great father." said Hotch and he showed Gideon a picture of Spencer and Piper sleeping in bed together with Spencer's left arm wrapped protectively around Piper.

"At least Olivia and the kids will keep him from going crazy for the next three months." said Gideon.

"Instead of arguing, Spencer and Olivia started talking about what they could do for the next three months." said Hotch.

* * *

A week later Dr. Black looked at Spencer's neck after he cleaned it.

"You can relax now since I've removed the stitches, but I want you to continue wearing a bandage for at least another week and watch for signs of infection." said Dr. Black as he applied a much smaller bandage.

"At least you won't be wearing a bandage when we have the twins birthday party next week Saturday." said Olivia.

Dr. Black looked at Spencer.

"You're still not going to be your normal self for a few more weeks, so please make sure to get a lot of rest." said Dr. Black.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were in the car heading home, and Spencer squeezed his wife's hand.

"Today is the third anniversary of the day you approached me in that coffee shop in Pasadena." said Spencer.

"You feel up to doing something tonight to celebrate being a couple for three years?" asked Olivia.

"Absolutely." said Spencer.

"I will take care of making the arrangements this afternoon." said Olivia as she thought about booking a hotel wouldn't be a bad idea.

"OK." said Spencer.

* * *

William looked at his son and daughter in law as he watched Olivia set a packed suit case by the front door.

"So what are you two going to do for your three year anniversary of meeting for the first time?" asked William.

"Go out for dinner then go to a hotel." said Olivia.

"Is anyone staying here tonight to help me deal with the kids?" asked William.

"Penelope." said Olivia.

At that moment the doorbell rang, and Olivia allowed Garcia into the house and as soon as she set her bag down she looked at Spencer.

"You're looking a bit better right now." said Garcia as she gently hugged Spencer.

"The stitches got removed today, but I have to wear a bandage for one more week." said Spencer.

Garcia looked at one of her favorite couples.

"Now off you go, and Piper, Albert, and Ava are going to have fun with their fun auntie Penny and their grandpa." said Garcia.

Olivia picked up their bag, and a few minutes later they were driving to Spencer's favorite Indian restaurant.

* * *

While they waited for their food, Spencer looked at Olivia.

"I can't believe it that Albert and Ava will be one next Thursday." said Spencer.

"I don't like how fast my baby boy is growing." said Olivia.

"I don't like how fast my two little girls are growing too, Livy." said Spencer.

Spencer lifted his glass of water.

"Here's to the best three years of my life since you approached me saying "Excuse me, do you really read that fast?" said Spencer.

Spencer and Olivia clinked glasses as their waitress approached them with their food.

"Is it your anniversary?" asked the waitress when she noticed Spencer's wedding band and Olivia's bridal set.

"It's the three year anniversary of the day we met." said Spencer.

"How long have you two been married?" asked the waitress.

"974 days." said Spencer and Olivia in unison.

* * *

After they closed the door of their hotel room, Spencer and Olivia started to help each other get undressed, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Are you sure you're ready?" asked Olivia.

"It's been two weeks." said Spencer as he felt his body reacting to seeing his wife naked.

"Get in bed and lay your head on a pillow." said Olivia.

Spencer followed his wife's instructions and before he knew it he felt his wife straddling him.

* * *

A few hours later, a sweaty Spencer and Olivia were lying naked together, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"How's your neck?" asked Olivia.

"A little bit sore, but having me stay on the bottom with my head on a pillow was good thinking on your part." said Spencer.

"When I talked to Dr. Wolfe about your post operation care, he said that we needed to wait at least two weeks before having sex. So let's clean up before we get some sleep since we have three kids who will be happy to see us tomorrow morning." said Olivia as she got out of bed before helping her husband get out of bed.

* * *

Two evenings later John pulled up in front of the Reid family home and a few minutes later he was driving Spencer to the church where Beltway Clean Cops was held. John looked at his passenger.

"How are you feeling?" asked John.

"Better than I was two weeks ago, and two days ago Livy and I celebrated the three year anniversary of the day I asked her out." said Spencer as he scratched his chin a bit.

John noticed the light stubble on Spencer's chin and around his lip.

"Facial hair making you uncomfortable?" asked John.

"I haven't shaved since getting the stitches removed two days ago." said Spencer.

"Deciding to grow out a beard and mustache during the rest of your medical leave?" asked John.

"Just until after my high school reunion next month. I want to make myself unrecognizable to my former tormentors, and everyone has been telling me that I have been more successful than a bunch of my former tormentors." said Spencer.

"I think your wife and teammates are correct Spencer. You have been successful since college, become one heck of a profiler during your 10 years in the BAU, and you're famous in both the academic and law enforcement community due to your published works in academic journals and police journals." said John.

Spencer decided stopped talking and before he knew it John pulled up at the church.

"You ready?" asked John.

"Let's go." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and John had taken seats in the front row.

"Need anything before the meeting starts?" asked John.

"I'm fine." said Spencer.

"Just let me know if you need anything." said John.

"I know." said Spencer.

* * *

"Anyone want to speak?" asked one of the leaders of the group.

Spencer slowly stood up, and John also stood up and picked up Spencer's chair before setting it down at the front.

"Sit down, Spencer." whispered John,

Spencer slowly sat down and John poured a cup of water and placed a straw in it before handing the cup to Spencer and gently squeezing his right shoulder before he went back to his seat. After a few seconds of allowing the room to quiet down, Spencer decided to start.

"Hello, my name's Spencer." said Spencer.

"Hello, Spencer." chorused everyone.

"I used to have a problem with Dilaudid, and I'm less than a month away from being seven years sober which I'm very proud of. I got shot in the neck during my last case two weeks ago, so that's why I'm sitting down due to all the blood I lost is causing me to get tired easily." said Spencer.

Spencer took a sip of his water before continuing.

"My wife and teammates made sure that I wasn't given any narcotics while I was in the hospital, but I'm currently dealing with post traumatic stress disorder right now since antibiotics are drugs that I can't avoid even though I am deathly allergic to beta lactams." said Spencer before he started explaining what happened at the hospital and the flashback he had when his wife told him that it was time to take his antibiotics, "I was told that if the bullet went two millimeters to the right, it would have hit the carotid artery and I wouldn't be sitting here right now."

Spencer stopped talking and took a sip of the water before continuing.

"But other than getting shot, my personal life has been going extremely well since my wife and I have two birthday parties to throw within the next month since my two youngest are turning one next week while my oldest turns two in less than four weeks. Thank you for listening to me." said Spencer.

Spencer slowly got up and John quickly got up so he could collect Spencer's chair while everyone clapped and a few officers and agents told him to get well soon. A minute later Spencer was sitting down next to John.

"You're feeling OK?" asked John.

"Yeah." said Spencer.

* * *

Eight days later Spencer and Olivia were getting ready for the day, and Olivia looked at her husband who still looked too pale for her liking.

"Are you sure you're up for today?" asked Olivia.

"I am since we still have to throw a birthday party for the twins since they turned one two days ago, and this is the first time having the entire team over since I was shot." said Spencer.

At that moment there was a knock on the bedroom door before hearing uncle Gordon's voice.

"Breakfast will be done in five minutes." said Gordon.

Five minutes later everyone was sitting around the dining room table, and Ethel looked at her nephew.

"You just take it easy today while Olivia, Joanna, and I take care of decorating the yard and William, Andrew, and Gordon manage the kids." said Ethel as she looked at Piper, Rachel, Albert, and Ava who were all eating breakfast without any help.

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at Ethel.

"I got a call from Garcia earlier, and she said that she, JJ, and Emily will be here after lunch to help out." said Olivia.

"The more helpers the better." said Ethel before looking at her nephew, "When are you going to start shaving again?"

"I'm going to wait until after my high school reunion since I really don't want any of my former classmates to recognize me at first." said Spencer.

* * *

An hour after lunch Emily stepped into the house with JJ and Garcia and made her way over to Spencer who was sitting on the couch reading to Piper.

"What are you two reading?" asked Emily.

A grinning Spencer and Piper looked up from their book.

"Emmy." said Piper as she got off the couch and ran over to Emily who scooped her up right away.

"You have gotten so big since I saw you, and I can't believe that you're going to be two in 17 days." said Emily as she set Piper down.

"Hi Emily." said Spencer as he gently stood up and made his way over to her.

Emily pulled Spencer into a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're OK." said Emily.

"I think everyone's glad that I'm going to be OK." said Spencer as he released Emily.

Emily laid her eyes on the still healing scar on his neck.

"You've got to be more careful, Spencer." chided Emily.

"Everyone has been telling me that the past three weeks, and I have been going to therapy twice a week over the past two weeks since I'm already dealing with post traumatic stress disorder." said Spencer softly.

"Good." said Emily before looking around, "Now where are the birthday boy and birthday girl?"

"They're taking a nap, and I just woke up from a nap 20 minutes ago since Piper and I took a nap together." said Spencer.

"She's still clingy to you?" asked Emily.

"Yes, and I will never forget the look on Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's faces when they saw the bandage." said Spencer.

"At least they're too young to remember what happened three weeks ago." said Emily.

"I know, but when they're older they are definitely going to ask about the scar on my neck, and I'm not really going to lie to them." said Spencer.

Emily looked at the scar that was almost completely healed, then at Spencer.

"Thinking about being Frankenstein for Halloween?" asked Emily.

"Already planning on it." said Spencer.

* * *

An hour and a half later Hotch and Garrett were standing a distance away while they watched Spencer and Matthew interact with their sons.

"How's Spencer doing?" asked Garrett.

"He's recovering very well on the physical side, but mentally he's been dealing with PTSD when it comes to hearing loud noises and being told it's time to take his antibiotics." said Hotch.

"Why antibiotics?" asked Garrett.

"One of the unsubs actually tried to inject Carbenicillin into his IV port since he's severely allergic to beta lactams, and luckily Spencer didn't get any in his system." said Hotch.

"Was Olivia in his hospital room when it happened?" asked Garrett.

"Luckily she wasn't since she went to the cafeteria to get herself come coffee and more jell-o for Spencer." said Hotch.

"That's good." said Garrett.

"Spencer's going to therapy for his PTSD, and I'm glad that he's making sure that his return to work doesn't end up like it did over seven years ago when he was abducted and tortured." said Hotch.

"First few cases back after a traumatic event are always the hardest." said Garrett.

Hotch instantly thought back to his and Spencer's first case back after his stabbing and Spencer's shooting.

"I know, but this time he isn't dealing with his recovery alone since he has Olivia and the kids, and I don't regret allowing him to take that four month long sabbatical three years ago." said Hotch.

"Wasn't that when Olivia entered his life?" asked Garrett as he watched his wife, Olivia, and Kristy talk and laugh while they interacted with Ava.

"It was." said Hotch.

Hotch felt someone collide with his legs and smiled when he saw that it was Piper. He instantly scooped up the 23 month old toddler.

"How you doing, Piper?" asked Hotch as he kissed his goddaughter's cheek.

"I good." said Piper.

"Aren't you turning two in a few weeks?" asked Hotch.

"Yes." said Piper as her curly pigtails bounced.

Garrett looked at Piper.

"You have gotten so big since the last time I saw you." said Garrett.

"I got big girl bed." said Piper.

Hotch looked at Garrett.

"Piper was nearly 19 months old when she was escaping her crib, and she was coined Little Miss Houdini by her father." said Hotch.

Garrett laughed.

"Very fitting." said Garrett.

Piper looked at her godfather.

"Mommy say food on way." said Piper.

"Excited about eating pizza?" asked Hotch.

"Yes." said Piper.

"Are you going to sit next to me or your daddy?" asked Hotch as he lifted up Piper into the air a bit before blowing a raspberry on the 23 month old toddler's belly, causing her to squeal with laughter.

"You." said Piper.

Hotch set Piper down and she ran over to her daddy was. Hotch smiled when he saw Spencer give his oldest child a kiss on the cheek before he saw a smirking Garrett looking at him.

"What?" asked Hotch.

"As a father to two daughters myself, I have to say that watching you interact with your goddaughter is adorable." said Garrett.

Hotch glared at Garrett.

* * *

15 minutes later everyone was eating pizza in the backyard, and Olivia looked at her husband as she looked for signs of tiredness and pain.

"You doing OK?" asked Olivia.

Everyone became quiet.

"I'm a bit tired right now, but I don't want to bail on everyone since it's Albert and Ava's big day." said Spencer, causing a bunch of the adults to look over at him.

"If you're really tired right now, none of us would be upset if you go lay down since you're still recovering." said William.

Every adult nodded in agreement.

"I just want to stay for cake since I want to help blow out one of the candles." said Spencer

"Then we will do cake right after everyone's finished, and after cake you can go lay down." said Olivia in a louder voice so everyone could hear.

* * *

Albert and Ava were sitting in their high chairs, and Spencer looked at Olivia as they lit the candles of two small birthday cakes while JJ and Ethel worked on cutting the big birthday cake that everyone else was going to eat.

"I do Albert and you do Ava?" asked Spencer.

Olivia nodded and a minute later everyone was singing "Happy Birthday" as Spencer and Olivia carried the two individual birthday cakes to their two youngest. After Spencer and Olivia each blew out a candle, they dipped a finger into the frosting before sticking it in their mouth and making sounds to show them that the cake is yummy before stepping a few feet away while watching their two youngest.

"Albert's making the same face that Spencer makes when I can see the wheels turning in his brain." said Rossi.

"What are you going to do, Albert?" asked Spencer as he smiled softly at his son.

Albert reached for the fork that was near him and looked at his daddy.

"Eed me daddy." said Albert.

William burst out laughing as he watched his son make his way over to Albert and start feeding him his cake.

"What's so funny?" asked Garrett.

"Spencer was just like Albert when it was his first birthday." said William.

Olivia looked at Ava who hasn't even touched her cake since she was watching her daddy feed her older twin brother.

"What are you going to do with your cake?" asked Olivia.

Ava grabbed her fork and held it out to Olivia.

"You want me to feed you?" asked Olivia.

"Ya." said Ava.

Olivia fed Ava her cake by fork as Spencer looked at his wife while he continued to feed his son.

"I wonder if they don't like the stickiness of the frosting?" asked Spencer.

"Probably, but at least it will be easier to bathe them instead of having to clean two cake covered toddlers." said Olivia.

Henry spoke up.

"Can we eat cake now?" asked Henry.

JJ spoke up.

"Cake has been cut so anyone who wants cake can go into the kitchen and help themselves." said JJ.

Everyone started heading towards the table where there was over 20 pieces of cake cut up, and after Spencer set down Albert's fork he looked at his wife.

"Can you guys save me a piece for later?" asked Spencer as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Going to go lay down?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah." said Spencer.

Olivia stood on her tip toes and pecked Spencer on the lips.

"I will check on you in a half hour." said Olivia.

Spencer started to head towards the stairs and stopped when he heard Piper's voice.

"Ere you going daddy?" asked Piper.

Spencer slowly turned around and looked at his oldest child.

"Daddy's tired so I'm going to go to bed and take a nap." said Spencer.

"Can I ake nap wit you?" asked Piper.

"Sure." said Spencer before looking at Olivia,"I need help lifting Piper so I can carry her."

Olivia came over, lifted Piper and helped get her settled on Spencer's hip while making sure that Piper didn't touch her daddy's neck.

"Be careful of your daddy's neck, sweet pea." said Olivia while she made sure that Spencer had a firm hold on his daughter.

"Yes mommy." said Piper.

Spencer started heading to the stairs and everyone heard him.

"Need to go potty before we lay down in bed?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

As soon as Spencer and Piper disappeared, Garcia looked at Olivia.

"Piper wanting to take a nap with her daddy is so adorable." said Garcia.

"She always been a daddy's girl before she was born since she always kicked when she heard the sound of his voice." said Olivia.

* * *

Later that night Spencer and Olivia were cuddling in bed, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"I can't believe that Piper's turning two in 17 days." said Olivia.

"Me either, and she's growing way too fast for my liking." said Spencer.

"You excited about heading out to Vegas after Piper's birthday party?" asked Olivia.

"I am." said Spencer.

"I was thinking that while we're driving out to Las Vegas we can drive down to Texas and visit Dr. Wolfe and allow Piper to thank him for saving your life." said Olivia.

"You got that idea from watching "Untold Stories of the ER"." teased Spencer.

"I did." said Olivia.

"We will drive through New Mexico and Arizona, but that will work even if it means that our drive out to Vegas will take over a day longer." said Spencer.

"And we would need to stop to eat, sleep, shower, get gas, and run Einstein." said Olivia.

"Einstein is definitely going to love running around my uncle's ranch, but we will all need to watch our step since it's been rattlesnake season in Vegas for nearly two months already." said Spencer.

"Even though I do miss the dry heat that was always around in the southwest, I really don't miss rattlesnake season." shuddered Olivia.

"When dad and uncle Gordon took me hiking in the desert for the first time, uncle Gordon made sure that I was able to identify every snake that resided in Nevada for my own safety." said Spencer.

"My parents were like that too." said Olivia.

"So back to our upcoming vacation, what time should we hit the road?" asked Spencer.

"9 PM on the 17th, and your dad and I will take turns driving trough the night while you sleep in the back seat with the kids." said Olivia.

"That would work. So how about from now between Piper's birthday we map out certain places we want to see while we're driving out to Vegas since we need to be there the day before my high school reunion." said Spencer.

"We can start doing that after Mass tomorrow." said Olivia.

Spencer yawned and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Let's get some sleep since we have three toddlers to chase around tomorrow." said Olivia.

"Love you." said Spencer as he set his glasses on the night stand.

"Love you too." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep in their bed.


	27. Last Day In Washington DC

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5 and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 26._

 _I'm going to take a break from writing for the next couple of days because early tomorrow morning I will be leaving for the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells where I will be staying for the next two nights and three days for the annual Autism Society of Wisconsin State Conference._

 _I have Spencer's father go by William while I have JJ's husband Will go by Will._

* * *

Spencer woke up to being showered with kisses by a two year old dog, a toddler who was two days away from turning two, and two 12 and a half month old toddlers, and as soon as Olivia saw that her husband's eyes were open she spoke up.

"I think daddy has had enough kissing." said Olivia as she motioned for Einstein to get off the bed.

As soon as Einstein left the bedroom, Spencer quickly grabbed Piper and Albert before they got away from him, and Ava plopped herself on top of her daddy.

"So why was I awakened by being showered with kisses from three toddlers and a dog?" asked Spencer as he secured his hold on Piper and Albert.

"It's Daddy's Day daddy." said Piper.

"I guess I forgot that it was Father's Day." said Spencer as he winked at his wife.

"Happy Father's Day, love." said Olivia as she reached for her husband's glasses and threaded them onto his nose.

"Being awakened with many kisses is the best wake up call ever." said Spencer as he looked at the alarm clock to see that it was 8 AM before seeing that Olivia and the kids were already dressed for Mass.

"You let me sleep in?" asked Spencer.

"You're still having energy issues, and your dad is downstairs making breakfast right now." said Olivia.

Piper looked at her mommy.

"I hungy." said Piper.

"Well let's go see if grandpa is finished with a batch of pancakes since daddy has to get dressed." said Olivia as she lifted Piper off the bed and settled her on the floor, then taking the twins from Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was getting dressed for Mass, and less than 10 minutes later he entered the dining room where Piper and the twins were already munching on blueberry pancakes while Olivia and William made another batch.

"Happy Father's Day, dad." said Spencer as he gave his dad a quick hug.

"Happy Father's Day to you too, Spencer." said William.

Spencer looked at Piper.

"We're having a house full of people this afternoon." said Spencer.

"Why?" asked Piper.

"You're turning two in two days so we're throwing a birthday party that includes cake, pizza, and presents like we did for Albert and Ava, and tonight at bedtime we're starting our long drive to Vegas." said Spencer.

"We see Nana and ide ponies?" asked Piper.

"We will later this week since this road trip is going to take over three days and three nights." said Spencer.

Piper looked at her grandfather.

"You ome wit?" asked Piper.

"Only for a week since you're staying out there with your mommy, daddy, little brother, and little sister for about six weeks." said William.

* * *

Spencer was fixing himself some coffee when Father Jimmy Davison approached him.

"You're looking better every week you show up for Mass." said Father Davison.

"I'm glad that I'm feeling better, but I still have energy problems." said Spencer before continuing, "I know that being able to attend Mass for the past five Sundays in a row is considered a new record for me."

"It is." said Father Davison.

Spencer felt someone collide with into his legs, and grinned when he saw Piper.

"Up, daddy." said Piper.

Spencer scooped up his oldest daughter before settling her on his hip.

"You having fun playing with the other little girls?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper before looking at Father Davison, "Hi."

Father Davison looked at the toddler who he baptized at three weeks old.

"Isn't your birthday this week Piper?" asked Father Davison.

"Two days." said Piper as she held up two fingers.

"Happy early birthday, Piper." said Father Davison.

"Ank you." said Piper.

"Are you having a birthday party?" asked Father Davison.

"Yes." said Piper.

"When is it?" asked Father Davison.

"We're throwing Piper's birthday party today since we're starting our long drive to Vegas tonight." said Spencer.

"How long are you going to be in Las Vegas?" asked Father Davison.

"Six weeks, but my dad is coming back after a week." said Spencer.

"Are you going to attend Mass while in Las Vegas?" asked Father Davison.

"My childhood parish ." said Spencer.

"Good." said Father Davison.

Olivia and William came over with the twins, and Olivia looked at Spencer.

"Let's go have Father's Day brunch before we head home for Piper's party." said Olivia.

Father Davison looked at the family he's become fond of.

"Have a safe trip, and tell David that I said hi." said Father Davison.

"We will." said Spencer.

* * *

Piper grinned when she saw the new doll that her godfather bought her.

"Go tell uncle Aaron thank you." said Spencer.

Piper got off her daddy's lap, ran over to her godfather and hugged him.

"Ank you unca Aaron." said Piper.

Hotch scooped his goddaughter onto his lap.

"You're welcome Piper." said Hotch as he hugged his goddaughter.

"I ake my new doll wit me en I go see Nana." said Piper.

"I'm going to miss you when you're out west visiting your grandma." said Hotch.

"I miss you too." said Piper.

At that moment Spencer looked at his teammates, Will, Jack, and Henry while mentally thanking Olivia for deciding just to have the team, Will, Jack, and Henry over for Piper's birthday.

"I'm going to miss you guys, but I'm glad that the next six weeks of my sick leave will be spent in Vegas." said Spencer.

"Why you going away that long?" asked Henry.

Spencer looked at his five and a half year old godson.

"My mom lives in Las Vegas, and I don't get to see her that often since I travel with your mommy for work. And with getting hurt six weeks ago, I know that I need to spend time with my mom to let her know that I'm going to be OK while she gets to spend time with Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Spencer.

"Are you going to call us or Skype with us?" asked Jack.

"I promise that I will call you two boys every couple of days, and I'm going to Skype every week with you two boys." said Spencer.

"Can I come visit?" asked Henry.

"You will need to ask your mommy and daddy." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at Jack and Henry.

"Spencer will still be on leave when we get back, so how about you two boys sleep over when we get back." said Olivia.

Jack looked at his father.

"Can I?" asked Jack.

"Sure." said Hotch.

"And maybe I can take you two boys camping." said Spencer.

"You go camping?" asked Jack.

William looked at Jack.

"I use to take Spencer camping when he was a little boy." said William.

Spencer smirked at his father.

"That was one of the few normal activities that I enjoyed." said Spencer.

"You were enthralled with the plants and animals that were in the desert." said William.

Jack looked at Spencer.

"Can we take Einstein outside?" asked Jack.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"I will take Jack, Henry, and Einstein outside." said Morgan.

"Thank you." said Spencer.

A minute later Hotch looked at Spencer.

"I don't want to receive any phone calls from police stations, field offices, or hospitals about you getting into trouble." said Hotch.

"I will do my best to stay out of trouble." said Spencer.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Can we eat cake now?" asked Piper.

"Mommy ordered pizza, and it should be here in 10 minutes." said Spencer.

"I wan eat cake now." said Piper.

"You know the rule about eating what you're given first before having desert." said Spencer.

"Yes, daddy." sighed Piper.

* * *

Piper grinned when she saw the birthday cake, and after "Happy Birthday" was sung, Piper tried to blow out the candle before Spencer helped her.

* * *

After Spencer, Morgan, and Will loaded up the SUV, they headed inside where Hotch, JJ, Rossi, Alex, and Garcia were sitting while William, Olivia, and the kids napped.

"Excited about going to Vegas?" asked Rossi.

"I am." said Spencer before he looked at his teammates and Will, "Thank you guys for helping make final preparations before my dad, Olivia, the kids, Einstein, and I start our road trip tonight." said Spencer as he heard Jack's and Henry's laughter from the backyard.

"Not a problem kiddo." said Rossi.

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"I appreciate you deciding to extend my medical leave until September 1st." said Spencer.

"Your going to need some time to adjust to being back home in DC when you, Olivia, and the kids come back from Vegas." said Hotch.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Has the SUV been gassed up yet?" asked Morgan.

"Gassed it up this morning after going out for brunch." said Spencer.

"So this house is going to be empty for six weeks?" asked Will

"My dad's only staying in Vegas for one week, and then he's flying back here so we don't leave this house empty for six weeks." said Spencer.

"Good thinking, and I will have officers check the house for you guys until your father gets back." said Will.

"Thank you." said Spencer.

"What time are you guys leaving tonight?" asked JJ.

"9 PM, and dad and Olivia will take turns driving through the night while I sleep in the back with the kids, and we're planning on being in Tennessee by breakfast time tomorrow." said Spencer as he started explaining the route that he and Olivia mapped out and the cities where they were going to stop for the night and when he was finished Hotch looked at him.

"Why are you guys stopping at the hospital in Briscoe County?" asked Hotch.

Spencer started explaining what Olivia wanted to do, and when he was finished he saw his teammates smiling.

"That's a great idea, Spence." said JJ.

"Livy got that idea from "Untold Stories of the ER" and I think it's touching that former patients would go visit the doctor who saved their life after they recovered." said Spencer.

"What are you guys going to do in Phoenix if Olivia doesn't have any family in the area?" asked Garcia.

"Visit my in-laws graves, since I haven't been to their grave yet." said Spencer.

Spencer's phone vibrated, and he saw a picture message from his uncle Gordon. His eyes went wide when he saw a picture of a rattlesnake den that contained seven different sized Mojave rattlesnakes.

CALLED THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE FOR THEIR YEARLY SEARCH FOR RATTLESNAKES ON MY PROPERTY TODAY, AND THEY FOUND THIS. AS OF RIGHT NOW THEY FOUND OVER 30 RATTLESNAKES ON MY PROPERTY. THEY ARE STILL SEARCHING RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'RE HOPING TO HAVE THE PROPERTY RATTLESNAKE FREE BY TUESDAY. BUT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT OTHER RATTLESNAKES WILL FIND HOME ON MY PROPERTY, SO WE STILL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. ~ GORDON

"Damn." whistled Spencer.

Everyone looked at Spencer since he rarely swore.

"What?" asked Morgan.

"Uncle Gordon called the Nevada Department of Wildlife today since they stop by for their yearly search for venomous snakes, and they found a den containing seven different sized Mojave rattlesnakes in it." said Spencer as he showed his teammates the picture, "Mojave rattlesnakes are one of the most venomous snakes in Las Vegas, and there are a few other rattlesnakes that we have to worry about." said Spencer as he listed the rattlesnake that resides around Las Vegas while his phone was passed around.

"I'm glad that I grew up in Chicago instead of the southwest like you did, kid." said Morgan.

"Did they remove the snakes?" asked a very pale Garcia.

"They removed over 30 snakes today, and they're hoping to have the property rattlesnake free by Tuesday. There's a possibility that more snakes will arrive on the ranch to look for food, but they're doing what they can since uncle Gordon mentioned that he's going to have a two year old and two one year olds staying on his ranch for six weeks." said Spencer.

"Now I am worried about you, Olivia, and the kids spending the next six weeks at your uncle's ranch." said Garcia.

"We'll be fine. When it comes to being born and raised in the southwestern United States, Livy and I were both taught how to identify to identify venomous and nonvenomous snakes when we were kids, and Einstein is going to be taking a rattlesnake avoidance course so he knows that he needs to be careful when it comes to being near rattlesnakes." said Spencer.

"What about the kids?" asked Garcia.

"They are never going to be alone on uncle Gordon's property, and uncle Gordon put up a rattlesnake proof fence around the play area he created for Rachel and my kids." said Spencer.

Spencer yawned and eyed his watch before looking apologetically at his teammates and Will.

"With how I'm still dealing with energy problems, I'm going to go join Livy in bed since we only have to worry about eating dinner, taking showers, bathing the kids, and changing into lounge wear before we hit the road in five hours." said Spencer.

"We're not leaving until you give us a hug." said Garcia as she got up and hugged Spencer tightly.

After Garcia released him, Spencer allowed his teammates and Will to either hug him or pat his back before they let themselves out of the house, and a few minutes later he was in bed with Olivia and the kids.

"Spencer?" asked a groggy Olivia as she rubbed Albert's back.

"Everyone just left, and I thought that joining you and our three munchkins for a nap would be a good idea." whispered Spencer as he lifted a sleeping Ava onto his chest while Piper instantly curled into his side.

* * *

Five hours later Spencer, Olivia, and William were loading up Einstein and three sleeping toddlers into the SUV, and as soon as Spencer made sure that the house was locked up he joined his kids in the back seat before Olivia pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

 _A/N: I am not going to cover that much of the drive to Las Vegas, but I am going to include the stop in Briscoe County, Texas so Dr. Wolfe from chapter 24 can meet the kids and visiting Olivia's parents graves._


	28. Road Trip to Las Vegas

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81 for being the 100th reviewer to this story, and also a shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, and guest for reviewing chapter 27._

 _Sorry for the delay for this chapter. I was in Wisconsin Dells for the 28th annual Autism Society of Wisconsin Spring Conference at the Kalahari Resort for two nights and three days, and I didn't take my laptop with me since I had to focus on the conference while getting to enjoy the indoor water park and indoor theme park at the resort (I ended up doing the ropes course three times, and I completed the top level all three times) with a bunch of friends that came to the conference._

 _Even though Einstein is heading to Vegas with the Reid family, I am going to let you guys know that Spencer, Olivia, and William are making sure to have windows rolled down for Einstein whenever the Reids take meal breaks, bathroom breaks, and a few certain stops that they make in this chapter._

 _While reading this chapter, I highly recommend that you listen to the song "Fireflies" by Owl City during this chapter since Piper likes that song causing Spencer, William, and Olivia to memorize it._

 _This chapter takes place four hours after the ending of the last chapter._

* * *

Piper woke up and her eyes went wide when she saw that she was in her car seat. She turned her head to see that her daddy sleeping next to her in the back seat.

"Daddy?" asked a groggy Piper as she yanked on the sleeve of his sweat shirt.

Spencer opened his eyes and removed his glasses before rubbing his eyes, and as soon as he threaded his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose he saw that his oldest child was awake.

"Yes Piper?" asked Spencer in a husky voice.

"I eed to go potty." said Piper.

Olivia saw a gas station, and a few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, and William were taking all three kids inside the gas station so Piper could go to the bathroom and the twins could get their diapers changed, and a few minutes later the Reids were back on the road with William behind the wheel while Olivia took her turn to sleep.

* * *

While William filled the SUV up with gas in Nashville, Olivia looked at her husband who was attaching a leash to Einstein' collar.

"How about you take a few minutes to call Aaron and let him know where we are while I work on changing the twins diapers and giving the kids their snack." said Olivia.

"Yes, ma'am." teased Spencer as he pulled out his phone while he walked Einstein to a grassy area, and less than a minute later he heard Hotch's voice.

"How's the road trip coming along?" asked Hotch.

"We're in Nashville right now. I am on Einstein duty, my dad is gassing up the SUV, and Olivia's dealing with the kids." said Spencer.

"Thinking that you guys will be in Oklahoma tonight?" asked Hotch.

"I think so, but I know that if dad, Livy, and I are too tired to drive it's best that we head to a hotel." said Spencer.

"How are the kids?" asked Hotch.

"They're doing fine, but Piper was a bit confused about not being in her own bed before remembering that she's going to see her grandma and ride horses in a few days." said Spencer.

"Does Diana know why you're on medical leave?" asked Hotch.

"I told her a few weeks back that you ordered me to take time off to decompress and spend time with my family, and dad, Olivia, uncle Gordon, and aunt Ethel agreed that I should tell mom why I'm on leave in person just in case she ends up getting sedated." said Spencer.

"That's a pretty good idea." said Hotch.

Spencer bent down a bit to pick up Einstein's feces, and as he threw the bag in the nearby trash can he spoke up when he saw Olivia wave at him.

"I have to get going since Olivia's signaling to me that we're going to be hitting the road soon." said Spencer.

"If you get behind the wheel, please drive safely." said Hotch.

"I know, and my dad and Olivia stated that I am only driving in daylight when I'm not tired." said Spencer as he exchanged goodbyes with Hotch before hanging up.

10 minutes later the Reid family were leaving the gas station with Spencer behind the wheel.

* * *

As they were passing near Little Rock, Arkansas, Piper looked at her daddy who was sitting next to her.

"Pwease sing to me daddy." said Piper.

"What song?" asked Spencer.

""Ireflies."" said Piper.

Spencer started singing "Fireflies" by Owl City, and while he was singing he wasn't even aware that Olivia was recording him singing his kids to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile at the BAU Hotch, Rossi, Garcia, JJ, Morgan, and Simmons were eating lunch in the conference room, and JJ looked at her teammates and temporary teammate.

"I wonder if Spence and their family are making good progress with their cross country road trip." said JJ.

"Reid called me this morning when they were in Nashville, and they're hoping that they will end up in Oklahoma City tonight." said Hotch.

Penelope's tablet gave an email alert and she grinned when she saw an email from Olivia.

"It's Olivia." said Garcia as she read the email out loud, "We are following our schedule perfectly since we're halfway through Arkansas and Piper asked Spencer if he could sing. So I am enclosing a video of Spencer singing Piper's favorite song "Fireflies" by Owl City to the kids, and they zonked out at the end. Spencer and I will send you guys a text message when we stop for the night." read Penelope.

"Play it." said JJ.

Garcia played the video while making sure that everyone could see it, and they couldn't help but smile when they witnessed all three toddlers falling asleep as their father sang.

"That was so adorable." cooed Garcia.

"He's looking much better than he did when I came to the twins birthday party." said Simmons.

"Still hoping that your sons will end up with Piper and Ava?" asked Morgan.

"Yes." said Simmons.

Hotch glared at Simmons.

"My goddaughter is not getting together with your oldest son." said Hotch.

Simmons laughed.

"Garrett warned me about your glares." said Simmons.

* * *

That night the Reids arrived at a pet friendly motel in Oklahoma City, and 15 minutes later the Reid family and Einstein were in their hotel room. Olivia looked at Spencer who was setting up a playpen for the kids while all three toddlers were asleep on one of the two queen sized beds.

"Should Piper sleep with us?" asked Olivia.

"Yes." said Spencer.

"We should wake the kids for their baths before we turn in for the night." said Olivia.

An hour later all six Reids were asleep in the two queen size beds or in the twins case, their playpen.

* * *

The following morning a fully dressed Spencer exited the hotel bathroom, and Olivia looked at Spencer who was dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt while she fed Albert.

"How about you wake up the birthday girl." whispered Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer as he headed to the bed that he shared with Olivia, Piper, and Ava and gently shook Piper awake.

Piper opened her eyes and saw her daddy.

"Happy birthday, Piper." said Spencer.

"I two now?" asked a groggy Piper.

"Yes you are, and two years ago you were my Father's Day present since you were born on Father's Day." said Spencer as he lifted Piper out of the bed, carried her to the bathroom and helped her use the bathroom before getting her dressed for the day.

A few minutes later Piper was being given kisses by her mommy and grandfather.

"Happy birthday, Piper." said Olivia.

"Ank you, mommy." said Piper.

"Let's go get breakfast before we hit the road." said Spencer.

"En do I see Nana?" asked Piper.

"Hopefully in two days, and Nana Diana can't wait to see you." said Spencer.

"Yay!" squealed Piper as she clapped her hands.

* * *

A few hours later Dr. Wolfe looked at the receptionist of the ER.

"Can you tell me about the visitors I'm expecting on my day off?" asked Dr. Wolfe.

"The visitor refused to give me his name, but I have a feeling that the he was probably one of your past patients who isn't from the area based on his accent." said the receptionist.

Dr. Wolfe felt something tugging the leg of his pants causing him to look down to see a toddler that looked about two years old.

"Hi." said Piper.

"Hi there, sweetie." said Dr. Wolfe as he knelt down to Piper's eye level. "Where's your mommy and daddy?"

Piper pointed to where her mommy, daddy, and grandpa were standing with her little brother and sister.

"Ere." said Piper.

Dr. Wolfe turned his head and smiled when he recognized two of the people who were standing a short distance away.

"I guess your daddy had you approach me." said Dr. Wolfe as he scooped up the toddler and placed her on his hip before heading over to the Reid family, "I take it that you had your daughter approach me."

"I did." said Spencer before looking at Piper, "Good job Piper." said Spencer as he gave Piper a high five before Dr. Wolfe set Piper on the floor and she took one of her daddy's hands.

"What's your name again?" asked Dr. Wolfe as he took a look at the scar on Spencer's neck and saw that it's pretty much healed.

"Dr. Spencer Reid." said Spencer as he shook hands with Dr. Wolfe.

"I remember meeting you Mrs. Reid, since you gave me a hug when I told you that your husband was going to be OK." said Dr. Wolfe as he shook hands with Olivia.

"Please call me Olivia." said Olivia.

Dr. Wolfe turned to William.

"I haven't met you." said Dr. Wolfe.

"I'm Spencer's father, William." said William.

Dr. Wolfe looked at Piper.

"I know that your name is Piper since your daddy said your name when he gave you a high five." said Dr. Wolfe.

Piper nodded as her curly pigtails bounced.

Dr. Wolfe looked at the two babies that were the same age.

"Now who are these two cuties?" asked Dr. Wolfe.

"Our twins Albert and Ava who turned 1 three weeks ago." said Spencer.

"Your son looks just like you." said Dr. Wolfe.

"I think everyone is pleased." grinned Spencer.

"You're looking much better, Dr. Reid." said Dr. Wolfe.

"Please, call me Spencer." said Spencer.

"How are you doing?" asked Dr. Wolfe as he motioned for everyone to follow him while being surprised that Piper took his hand.

"Doing much better than I was six weeks ago, but I occasionally deal with some pain even though it's been six weeks." said Spencer.

"Don't forget fatigue since you have been taking naps at the same time as our kids." said Olivia.

"And that's expected for awhile. So what brings you guys down to Texas?" asked Dr. Wolfe as he led the family to his office.

"We're driving out to Las Vegas, Nevada to visit family since I'm on medical leave until September 1st, and we decided to stop here since Piper wants to tell you something." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at Piper.

"Tell Dr. Wolfe what we practiced." said Olivia.

Piper looked at Dr. Wolfe.

"Up." said Piper.

Dr. Wolfe scooped up Piper, and Piper looked at him.

"Ank you fo aving my daddy." said Piper as she kissed Dr. Wolfe's cheek.

Dr. Wolfe didn't even realize that Olivia took a picture when Piper kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome Piper." said Dr. Wolfe.

Spencer looked at Piper.

"You want to tell Dr. Wolfe what today is?" asked Spencer.

"My birfday." said Piper.

"Well, happy birthday." said Dr. Wolfe.

"Ank you." said Piper.

"How old are you?" asked Dr. Wolfe.

"Two." said Piper as she held up two fingers.

"And we would like to take you out to eat before we hit the road again." said Spencer.

"I will gladly accept your invitation, and I know a good place that's family friendly." said Dr. Wolfe.

* * *

Later that night, the Reids were getting settled into their motel room in Albuquerque and William looked at his son and daughter in law.

"How about you two take some time for yourselves and walk around a bit." said William.

"I do need to stretch out my bad knee a bit." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were walking outside of the hotel watching the sun set, and Spencer looked at his wife.

"At least we will be arriving in Vegas tomorrow night." said Spencer.

"Has Gordon talked to you about the process of the snake removal?" asked Olivia.

"His property is practically rattlesnake free now, but there's a chance that rattlesnakes will make their way onto his ranch so we need to stay vigilant." said Spencer.

At that moment they heard a rattle from a rattlesnake, and Spencer and Olivia stood still and moved their heads to look around before Spencer saw a Mojave rattlesnake 10 feet away from them.

"Crotalus scutulatus." said Spencer as he and Olivia quickly walked in the opposite direction.

"Mojave rattlesnake." said Olivia.

"We should let the receptionist know that there's a Mojave rattlesnake on their grounds." said Spencer as they headed towards the doors.

"It's a good thing that uncle Gordon is going to be taking Einstein to rattlesnake avoidance courses the day after we arrive." said Olivia.

"One thing I don't miss about living in the southwest is having to deal with rattlesnakes, but I have seen Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes on some of the trails that I have taken Einstein running on." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia alerted the clerk, and before they knew it they were in their hotel room where they saw William feeding his grandchildren bananas and cheerios as a bedtime snack.

"Mommy! Daddy!" said Piper as she jumped off the bed and ran straight to her daddy who scooped her up.

"You two are back soon." said William.

"Saw a Mojave rattlesnake, and we alerted the clerk downstairs and decided to come back here since it's almost time for the kids to go to sleep." said Spencer.

Olivia yawned, and Spencer looked at the alarm clock, seeing that it was nearing 8:30 PM before looking at Olivia.

"We might as well have an early bedtime tonight since we requested a 5 AM wake up call." said Spencer.

"Let's get showers and baths taken care of then." said Olivia.

An hour later all six Reids were fast asleep.

* * *

The following afternoon Olivia looked at the familiar sites when she saw her hometown, and Spencer who was in the backseat with the kids spoke up.

"You OK?" asked Spencer.

"This is my first time in Phoenix since graduating from college, and I just wonder if I will see other kids I went to school with or my parents friends." said Olivia.

"I understand how hard it is to be home the first time after being away a long time. It took a few years of Hotch and Gideon convincing me to go to Vegas to visit mom since I always asked aunt Ethel, uncle Gordon, and Andrew to fly out to DC due to my schedule." said Spencer.

Piper's tummy growled, and Spencer chuckled.

"Piper's hungry." said Spencer.

"I know a good diner that you would enjoy, but it's going to be a 20 minute drive." said Olivia.

* * *

After the Reids ordered their food a waitress who was Olivia's age came over and her eyes went wide when she recognized Olivia.

"Olivia?" asked the waitress.

Olivia's eyes went wide when she recognized Rebecca.

"Hi Rebecca." said Olivia.

"I heard that you moved to Pasadena to teach at Cal-tech." said Rebecca.

"I did teach at Cal-tech for a year and a half, but I ended up moving to Washington DC since I always wanted to live there." said Olivia.

Rebecca noticed Olivia's bridal set and the young man who was sitting with Olivia sporting a wedding band while the older man looked like the younger man when it came to eyes and hair before laying her eyes on three toddlers who either looked like their parents or a perfect mixture of both parents.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to the people who I assume are your husband, father-in-law, and children?" asked Rebecca.

"Rebecca, I would like to introduce you to my husband Spencer Reid and our kids Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Olivia as she pointed at each child while stating the age.

"How long ago did you get married?" asked Rebecca.

"1,002 days ago." said Olivia.

"And you didn't bother sending me an invitation to the wedding?" asked Rebecca.

"We eloped due to Spencer's unpredictable work schedule." said Olivia.

Rebecca looked at Spencer.

"What do you practice?" asked Rebecca.

"I'm not that type of doctor, but I'm a profiler for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia." said Spencer.

"I remember seeing something about that unit being in Glendale on Twitter last September." said Rebecca.

"I was one of the agents that came down here for that case." said Spencer.

Another waitress came forward with the Reids food and looked at Rebecca.

"Your break is over, Rebecca." said the waitress.

Rebecca looked at Olivia.

"How long are you in town for?" asked Rebecca.

"About two more hours since we're going to visit my parent's graves before hitting the road since we have another five hours of driving, minus the filling up on gas, bathroom, and dinner breaks we need to take before we reach our destination." said Olivia.

"Where are you guys going?" asked Rebecca.

"We're heading up to Las Vegas since I have a high school reunion next week." said Spencer.

Rebecca held out her hand to Olivia.

"Pass me your phone so I can put my number into it." said Rebecca.

Olivia passed her phone over, and a minute later she had a new contact.

"Call me later so we can catch up." said Rebecca before walking away.

* * *

An hour later Spencer and Olivia were standing by the graves of Piper and Albert Hartford while William stayed in the SUV with the kids and Einstein who were all sleeping.

"Hi mom. Hi dad. It's been over five years since I've been here, and I can't believe that it's been ten years and two weeks since the police knocked on the door of my dorm and told me what happened to you two. If you have been watching over me, you two would know that three years and 28 days ago I met someone and married him 1002 days ago. I have three kids with Spencer, and their names are Piper, Albert, and Ava. Piper just turned two yesterday while Albert and Ava just turned one over three weeks ago." said Olivia before bursting into tears.

Spencer decided to speak up as he comforted his wife.

"I love your daughter with all my heart, and I will do anything to protect her. Livy has been telling me that if you two were still alive, you would have accepted me as your son in law right away." said Spencer.

Spencer embraced his wife as she sobbed on his shoulder, and a few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were back in the SUV with Spencer in the drivers seat while Olivia sat in the back with the kids and Spencer started the four and a half hour long drive to Las Vegas.

* * *

Later that evening, Spencer was pulling the SUV into the driveway of Gordon's ranch, and a half hour later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep in Spencer's bedroom.

* * *

 _A/N: Let's just say that Piper, Albert, and Ava are staying in Andrew's bedroom while William takes one of the guest bedrooms. Next chapter will finally include Diana Reid._


	29. Visiting Diana Reid

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Guest, Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 28._

 _OhSnapItsMadison: The water parks and resorts I have been to at Wisconsin Dells are the Kalahari Resort (Every April for the past five years for the same conference), the Wilderness Resort (When I was 10 years old), and Noah's Ark (Six years old)._

 _For the guest reviewer that has given reviews for the last two chapters, if you have/had an account can you please give your Username (if you have or had an account) or just mention your first name (If your really a guest) so it's easier to address the reviewer. I like to give a shout out to every reviewer every time I post a new chapter._

* * *

Spencer and Olivia woke up when their alarm clock went off at 5 AM, and Spencer looked at his wife as he put on his glasses.

"We might as well get in some riding before breakfast." said Spencer as he got out of bed and started getting dressed in khakis and a polo shirt.

"Feel like you're ready?" asked Olivia.

"My doctor did clear me for horseback riding." said Spencer.

Olivia raised her eye brows at her husband.

"Medical doctor or second opinion?" asked Olivia.

"I asked Dr. Black during my last appointment." said Spencer.

"I didn't go to that one since I needed to work on packing." said Olivia.

Spencer dug into his messenger bag and found the note, and after Olivia read it she looked at him.

"If you develop neck pain, we're going to stop." said Olivia.

"Think we should wake Piper?" asked Spencer.

"Sure." said Olivia as she exited the bedroom to head to the bathroom.

* * *

30 minutes later Olivia was lifting a helmet clad Piper onto the horse that Spencer was already on.

"Why we ide now?" asked Piper.

"This afternoon it's going to be much hotter here than it gets in DC since we're in the desert, so it's best to ride horses in the mornings and evenings before the hottest part of the day." said Spencer.

"And when it's to hot too go riding, we're going to see Nana." said Olivia as she mounted her horse.

"Yay." said Piper.

Spencer looked at Piper.

"Say the magic words for Nikola." said Spencer.

"Giddy up." said Piper.

Spencer did a certain movement to get Nikola walking, and before they knew it Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were watching the sun rise as they rode Nikola and Butterscotch.

"Pwetty." said Piper.

"Yes it is, Piper, and we're going to be watching the sunset tonight." said Spencer.

"We see sars at edime?" asked Piper.

"If you're still awake at bedtime we can come out here to see the stars." said Spencer.

"Yay." squealed Piper.

"Only if you take a nap after dinner, sweet pea." said Olivia.

"Yes mommy." sighed Piper.

After another half hour of riding, Piper's tummy growled and Spencer got Nikola to turn around.

"Let's head back and see about some breakfast." said Spencer.

* * *

While Spencer, Olivia, William, Gordon, Piper, Albert, and Ava ate breakfast William looked at his son.

"You visiting your mother today?" asked William.

"Yes." said Spencer.

"I come see Nana wit you?" asked Piper.

Spencer looked at his oldest daughter.

"Daddy's going to go alone this time." said Spencer.

"Why?" asked Piper.

"I need to make sure that your Nana is having a good day since I have to tell her something." said Spencer.

Piper pouted just like her daddy, causing the adults in the room to laugh, and when the laughter died down William looked at his son.

"Are you going to come clean to her about your recent scare?" asked William.

"Yes, and I'm not sure how she's going to react." said Spencer.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer entered Bennington Sanitarium, and he approached Dr. Jesson who was talking to nurse Elizabeth.

"Hi Dr. Jesson." said Spencer.

Dr. Jesson smiled when she saw Spencer.

"It's been awhile since I saw you, Dr. Reid." said Dr. Jesson.

"Please, call me Spencer. Things have been busy since Christmas, but my mom's going to be seeing me more often for five of the six weeks I'm in town for." said Spencer.

"How are you doing?" asked Dr. Jesson as she thought back to talking to Spencer on the phone shortly after he got shot.

"I'm pretty much fully recovered, but I'm still dealing with pain and tiredness which is why I'm still on medical leave." said Spencer.

"How much longer are you on medical leave for?" asked Dr. Jesson.

"Eight more weeks, and I'm not arguing with my boss since I'm getting to spend time with my family without having to worry about being called in for work." said Spencer.

"Are you finally going to come clean to your mother about why you're on leave?" asked Dr. Jesson.

"Yes, and I will only tell her in a few minutes if she's having a good day today." said Spencer.

"Well she is having a good day today, and she has been cooperating with taking her medication since she knows that you're supposed to visit today." said Dr. Jesson.

"Where is she?" asked Spencer.

"In her room since she was planning that this visit happen in her room just in case Olivia and the kids came along." said Dr. Jesson.

"I'm going to head up there now." said Spencer.

"You know where to find me if you have any questions." said Dr. Jesson before walking away.

Spencer looked at nurse Elizabeth.

"I might need some back up just in case she takes the news about me getting shot too hard." said Spencer.

"I will come with you Dr. Reid." said nurse Elizabeth as she laid her eyes on Spencer's neck and saw the scar, "Good thinking about asking for back up."

A few minutes later Spencer was knocking on the open doorway of his mother's room, and a few seconds later Diana looked up from her journal and smiled when she saw her son standing in the doorway.

"Come in, Spencer." said Diana.

Less than 30 seconds later Spencer was giving his mom a hug, and Diana looked at her son.

"Where are Olivia and my grandchildren?" asked Diana.

"It was decided that I would visit you alone first since I need to come clean to you about the reason why I was forced to take over three months off from work." said Spencer.

"What happened baby?" asked Diana.

Nurse Elizabeth entered the room just to be safe.

"During the last case I worked on six weeks ago, I got shot and ended up having surgery to remove the bullet." said Spencer.

"Where did you get shot?" asked Diana.

"My neck." said Spencer as he rubbed his scar a bit.

Diana looked at Spencer's neck, and her eyes went wide when she saw the scar before bursting into tears.

"Sometimes I wish that you didn't become an FBI agent, baby." said Diana.

Spencer hugged his mom.

"I'm here mom, and I promise that I will be more careful when I return to work in eight weeks." said Spencer.

"You better, since I want another grandchild to spoil." said Diana.

Spencer gave his mom a watery smile and grabbed a tissue to wipe his mother's tears before nodding at Diana's favorite nurse to let her know that they're OK.

"Page me if you need anything." said nurse Elizabeth before leaving the room.

A minute later Diana looked at her son.

"How long are you in town for?" asked Diana.

"Six weeks, but dad's only here for a week." said Spencer.

"So when I will be seeing my grandchildren?" asked Diana.

"You will be seeing your grandchildren this afternoon, and you should have seen Piper's pout when I told her that I was coming to see you alone." said Spencer.

"She pouts just like you?" asked Diana.

"Yes." said Spencer before he continued talking about the next six weeks, "Next week Livy and I are attending my high school reunion, and in four weeks Livy and I are flying out to London to visit Emily while the kids stay here in Vegas with aunt Ethel and uncle Gordon."

"And will Ethel and Gordon bring the kids here to see me?" asked Diana.

"They're planning on it." said Spencer.

Diana looked at her son.

"How about you head back to your uncle's to spend time with Olivia and the kids, and after lunch you better bring Olivia and the kids here." said Diana.

"OK mom." said Spencer.

"And maybe you guys can take me to Binions." said Diana.

"Livy and I were already talking about taking you to Binions since we're both craving chicken fried lobster." grinned Spencer.

* * *

Later that afternoon Spencer, Olivia, William, and the kids entered Bennington Sanitarium and Dr. Jesson made a beeline for the kids right away.

"They have definitely grown since I saw them at Christmas." said Dr. Jesson before she addressed each child.

"Hi." said Piper.

Dr. Jesson looked at Piper who was on her daddy's hip.

"Your grandma mentioned that your birthday just happened. How old are you now, Piper?" asked Dr. Jesson.

"Two." said Piper.

"Her birthday was two days ago." said Spencer.

"Happy belated birthday, Piper." said Dr. Jesson.

"Ank you." said Piper.

Dr. Jesson looked at Albert and Ava who were settled on Olivia's and William's hips.

"How old are they now?" asked Dr. Jesson.

"They turned one over three weeks ago." said Spencer.

"Albert looks so much like you." said Dr. Jesson.

"I know." said Spencer.

"I just love it when Diana shows me pictures of these cuties. Having grandchildren in her life has helped her condition improve, but you do know that she still occasionally has bad days." said Dr. Jesson.

"I know." said Spencer.

Piper looked up at her daddy.

"Nana's sick?" asked Piper.

"She is, and that's why she's here to keep her safe." said Spencer.

"I see Nana now?" asked Piper.

Dr. Jesson smiled at Piper.

"She's actually waiting for you guys in her room since she has been talking about her grandchildren coming to visit during lunch." said Dr. Jesson.

"We need to take pictures too." said Olivia.

"I will come with you guys so I can take a few pictures." said Dr. Jesson.

A few minutes later Piper was running towards her grandma.

"Nana!" shouted Piper as she ran into her grandmother's arms.

"Hello, Piper." said Diana as she scooped up her oldest grandchild and hugged her.

"I two now." said Piper.

"I was just going to tell you happy belated birthday, and I have a present for you." said Diana as she settled onto her bed with Piper on her lap before looking at Spencer, "There's a wrapped box on my table."

Spencer grabbed the box while Olivia and William settled themselves onto one of the couches with the twins on their laps, and a few seconds later Piper was unwrapping her gift. She grinned when she saw a new book.

"Ank you Nana." said Piper as she hugged her grandma.

"You're welcome, Piper." said Diana as she returned her oldest granddaughter's embrace.

Piper scrambled off the bed with her new book.

"Pwease read to me, daddy." said Piper.

"I will in a bit." said Spencer as he scooped Piper onto his lap while watching his mom greet her two youngest grandchildren.

"Seeing Albert reminds me of when you were his age Spencer." said Diana.

"I know that I looked just like him when I was his age." said Spencer.

Diana looked at Olivia.

"And Ava looks so much like you Olivia." said Diana.

"I know, mom." said Olivia.

Dr. Jesson looked at the Reid family.

"Want me to take your picture now?" asked Dr. Jesson.

"Yes, please." said Spencer as he found his phone and passed it to Dr. Jesson.

A minute later Dr. Jesson was taking a picture of the three generation of Reids before passing the phone back to Spencer.

"I have to go check on another patient, and Diana's able to leave the grounds at dinner time today as long as you guys bring me back some chicken fried lobster." said Dr. Jesson.

All the adults in the room laughed before Dr. Jesson left the room.

"I'm going to send this picture to Garcia just in case the others are on a case." said Spencer as he emailed the picture to his tablet before he worked on typing an email for Garcia while enclosing the picture.

Piper looked at her grandma.

"Pwease ead to me, Nana." said Piper.

"Come here then Piper, and I will be reading to your little brother and sister too." said Diana.

* * *

Meanwhile at the BAU, Garcia grinned when she saw an email from Spencer and her grin widened when she saw Spencer, Olivia, William, and the kids with Diana.

WE'RE VISITING WITH MY MOM RIGHT NOW SINCE SHE'S HAVING A GOOD DAY. PIPER IS VERY HAPPY TO SEE HER GRANDMA WHILE ALBERT AND AVA REMEMBER THEIR GRANDMA EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN PERSON SINCE CHRISTMAS.

WE'RE GOING TO HANG OUT AT THE HOSPITAL FOR A BIT BEFORE HEADING TO BINIONS FOR CHICKEN FRIED LOBSTER SINCE LIVY, DAD, MOM, AND I ARE ALL CRAVING IT.

SPENCER

Garcia quickly printed up the photo so she could display it on Spencer's desk before taking her tablet to Hotch's office, and a few minutes later she was in Hotch's office.

"Got a new picture from Reid, and I think you're going to like this one." said Garcia.

"Show me." said Hotch.

Garcia showed Hotch the picture on his tablet, and he smiled at the picture of Spencer, Olivia, William, Diana, and the kids together.

"Diana definitely looks happy to have her son, daughter in law, and grandchildren with her right now." said Hotch when he noticed that a smiling Diana had an arm wrapped around her grinning son who had Piper on his lap.

"They're going to Binions tonight." said Garcia.

"Their chicken fried lobster is good." said Hotch.

"I never had it since I didn't get to go with you guys to Las Vegas for a case." said Garcia.

"I have an idea that I already cleared with Cruz." said Hotch.

"What is it?" asked Garcia.

"Reid was asked by Detective Ramirez to give a small seminar on profiling to the police department, and I asked Cruz if all of us including you can head out to Vegas to help Reid give the seminar." said Hotch.

"When are we going?" asked Garcia.

"Around the 4th of July, and we will be there for three days." said Hotch.

"Does Spencer or Olivia know?" asked Garcia.

"Not yet, but I also cleared it that Jack and Henry will be joining us since I know that both boys are missing their uncle Spencer." said Hotch.

"Now that will be fun." smiled Garcia.

"Just don't tell the Reids yet since we're going to surprise them." said Hotch.

"OK." said Garcia.

* * *

Later that evening, Spencer, Olivia, William, and Diana entered Binions while Gordon stayed with the kids and a few minutes later they were sitting at a booth and Diana looked at her son.

"Depending on how much chicken fried lobster you eat during the time your out here, you might have to return to work wearing brand new clothes." said Diana.

Spencer, Olivia, and William burst out laughing, and when everyone sobered up Spencer made eye contact with his mom.

"During my last doctor appointment I was told that I gained two pounds, and he said that it wouldn't hurt if I gain another five pounds before I return to work." said Spencer.

"Spencer's telling the truth." said Olivia.

"Were you two thinking about taking the kids to the Grand Canyon at all?" asked Diana.

"We actually are planning on going, and we already made reservations for a hotel." said Spencer.

"My grandchildren are going to love it." said Diana.

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, and Piper were sitting on a blanket as Spencer uncovered Piper's eyes.

"You can look now." said Spencer.

Piper's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and her brown eyes went wide when she saw the starlit sky.

"Pwetty." said Piper.

Spencer pulled Piper closer to him to help keep her warm.

"Yes it is, Piper." said Spencer.

At that moment a shooting star passed by.

"Wow." said Piper.

After another 10 minutes of watching the night sky, Gordon came outside with two mugs filled with hot chocolate.

"Here's some hot chocolate for you two." said Gordon as he passed the mugs to Olivia.

"Thanks." said Olivia.

Gordon noticed that Piper's eyes were drooping.

"Ready for bed?" asked Gordon.

"Yes." said Piper.

"How about I tuck you in." said Gordon.

"OK." said Piper.

Gordon collected Piper from Spencer, and before he walked away he looked at his nephew.

"I don't care what you and Olivia do in your bedroom since you are both adults, but you two should think about trying to stay quiet and locking the door while having mommy and daddy time." said Gordon quietly before walking away.

Spencer's face turned bright red as Olivia laughed.

* * *

 _A/N: Next up is Spencer's high school reunion._


	30. High School Reunion

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 29.

 _I'm glad that Spencer's finally out of jail, and after watching the promo (I'm already thinking about killing off Cat Adams at the end of Entropy) I hope that Diana Reid is found alive while everyone else except Lindsey and Mr. Scratch survive what was shown in the promo._

 _I'm going to say that I'm sorry about the second half of this chapter, but I was asked if I was going to have a certain event happen._

* * *

Spencer smiled at his teammates who were gathered around the conference table in Quantico.

"Hi guys." said Spencer.

"How is it in Vegas?" asked Rossi.

"It's reaches over 100 degrees in the afternoon, but if I want to go horseback riding I make sure to go during sunrise or while the sun sets." said Spencer.

"I appreciate the picture that you sent me of the sunset." said JJ.

"You're welcome, and the canyon in the background is the canyon that's near my uncles ranch." said Spencer.

"Where are your father, Olivia, and the kids?" asked Garcia.

"Piper and Olivia are at the spa, dad's visiting mom right now, and Albert and Ava are currently taking naps." said Spencer.

"Nervous about tonight?" asked Hotch.

"A bit, and I know that I am probably going to be called up to the stage since I was valedictorian." said Spencer.

"Just imagine that you're talking to the press." said JJ.

"I will consider your advice." said Spencer.

"What color is Olivia's dress for tonight?" asked Garcia.

"Olivia isn't letting me see her dress until we're getting ready." said Spencer.

"Are you two staying at a hotel tonight?" asked Rossi.

"We're not since I will have to drive my dad to the airport tomorrow morning." said Spencer.

"Well if none of us are here to pick your dad up from the airport tomorrow, I will ask Will to pick him up." said JJ.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

Spencer heard both Albert and Ava cry through the baby monitor.

"I have to get going so I can help my uncle take care of Albert and Ava." said Spencer.

"Please let us know how everything goes tomorrow." said Garcia.

"I will." said Spencer before signing off.

20 minutes later Spencer was reading to Albert and Ava in the living room when Olivia and Piper came into the house.

"Look, daddy." said Piper as she ran over to show off her purple nails.

"Pretty nails." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was finishing tying his tie when Olivia came into bedroom wearing a knee length light pink dress that hugged her curves in all the right places.

"You're looking great, Livy." said Spencer as he pulled on his suit jacket.

"You definitely look much better than you did seven weeks ago." said Olivia before looking at her husband, "Can you please help me zip my dress?"

"Sure." said Spencer as he helped Olivia zip up her dress before putting on his dress shoes, "I'm nervous that some of my former classmates will recognize me if they've seen me speak to the press on TV."

Olivia rested a hand on her husband's arm.

"I doubt that any of your classmates except for Parker and Ethan will recognize you since you don't look like the boy who graduated high school at 12 years old. You're older, taller, sporting a beard, and a badass FBI agent who has a trophy wife who loves him for who he is." said Olivia as she kissed her husband on the lips.

"You know what to say to make me feel better, Livy." said Spencer.

"And don't forget it." smirked Olivia as she straightened the lapels of Spencer's suit jacket before making eye contact with him, "Ready?" asked Olivia as she slipped on a pair of high heels that Garcia convinced her to buy.

"Yes." said Spencer

"Let's go say goodbye to the kids before we head to the hotel where the reunion is being held." said Olivia.

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were giving Piper, Albert, and Ava each a hug and a kiss.

"You look pwetty, mommy." said Piper as she took in the sight of her mother wearing a dress with her hair done in a curly ponytail.

"Thank you, Piper." said Olivia.

"Oing bye bye?" asked Piper.

"To my high school reunion, and you won't be seeing us until morning." said Spencer.

"So you be good for uncle Gordon and Papa." said Olivia.

"Yes, mommy." said Piper.

At that moment there was a honk of a car.

"Our cab is here." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were heading to the hotel where the 20 year high school reunion was happening.

* * *

Spencer and Olivia approached Parker and Ethan.

"Got our name tags made up for us?" asked Spencer.

"We did, and made sure that no one was looking when we grabbed two extra name tags." said Ethan a he passed Spencer and Olivia their name tags that already had their names written.

"Thanks, man." said Spencer as he and Olivia put on their name tags.

"We understand that we want to keep your presence as low key as possible." said Ethan.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

* * *

After dinner was over, Mrs. Wilson came onto the stage and looked at her former students and their dates.

"Welcome, everyone, to the 20 year reunion." said Mrs. Wilson as she started giving a speech about the graduating class before it was time to call up certain members.

"The first person I would like to call up here is our valedictorian, Spencer Reid. If you are here Spencer Reid, please come up here." said Mrs. Wilson.

Olivia squeezed her husband's hand as they heard whispers throughout the ballroom.

"You're going to do fine since you faced some of the most violent psychopaths in this country. Imagine that you are presenting a profile." whispered Olivia.

Spencer slowly got up, and when he made his way to the stage he heard former classmates talk as he made his way onto the stage.

"That pipsqueak finally showed up." muttered one of the former football players, Thomas Nichols.

Thomas' wife Alexa looked over where Spencer was shaking hands with their former principal and was shocked at how his looks changed over the past 20 years, realizing that he wasn't the same 12 year old boy who had a crush on her.

Benjamin Peterson, who remembered seeing Spencer work with Detective Ramirez a few months back, looked at Thomas.

"If you're thinking about jumping him later, I wouldn't do it since I would have to arrest you." whispered Benjamin.

"What do you know about him?" asked Thomas.

Benjamin flashed back to when he first saw Spencer a few months back.

 _Flashback_

 _As officers walked away, Benjamin decided to walk over to Spencer._

 _"I thought that you were going to coach basketball after helping the basketball team become successful?" asked Benjamin as he held up his hand for a high five._

 _Spencer shocked his teammates by returning the high five._

 _"My academic adviser said that it would be a waste if I decided to become a basketball coach, but I'm glad that I went the FBI route instead when a few agents came to Cal-tech to give a seminar." said Spencer._

 _"And with your knowledge, I'm glad you didn't waste your talents." said Benjamin._

 _"Didn't continue the basketball route that you were planning on doing?" asked Spencer._

 _"I got injured in college, and with my dad being a police officer I decided to go that route instead." said Benjamin._

 _"You aren't one of his past bullies?" asked Morgan._

 _"I was one of the quiet ones who chose to keep his head down and study hard in high school, and Spencer tutored me in English. Plus Spencer used to play with my younger brother Jeff when they were kids." said Benjamin._

 _"Has Jeff's second child been born yet?" asked Spencer._

 _"He and his wife just welcomed their second child a month ago." said Benjamin as he showed Spencer a picture of his new nephew before seeing the impatient look on Hotch's face, "I should let you get back to work, but the next time you're in town to visit family you better introduce me to your wife and kids since Jeff showed me the birth announcements that you sent him."_

 _"I will, Benjamin." said Spencer._

 _Flashback ended_

"He's an FBI agent who's friends with my little brother Jeff, and I ended up working with him a few months back when he and his team helped catch Marvin Caul and Cesar Jones." whispered Benjamin.

Mrs. Wilson silenced everyone before looking at Spencer who had his hands in his pocket to hide his wedding band.

"So what have you been doing the past 20 years that caused you not to show up until this reunion?" asked Mrs. Wilson.

Spencer turned his head over to where Olivia was standing with Ethan and Parker, and at Olivia's reassuring smile and the thumbs up that Ethan and Parker were giving him he took a deep breath before following Olivia's advice about imagining that he's giving the profile to the press.

"I went to Cal-tech on a full academic scholarship, and during the past 20 years I have earned a total of four PhDs in mathematics, engineering, chemistry, and psychology while earning a few additional BAs in sociology and philosophy." said Spencer.

"Impressive list of degrees." said Mrs. Wilson.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

"So what career choice have you picked to put your degrees to use?" asked Mrs. Wilson.

"When I turned 21 the FBI waived the age requirement for me since every government agency was hoping to recruit me." said Spencer

"So you joined the FBI?" asked Mrs. Wilson.

"Yes, and I have been in the same unit for over 10 and a half years since graduating from the academy at 22." said Spencer.

"What unit do you work for?" asked Mrs. Wilson.

"I'm a profiler for the Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia." said Spencer.

"Can you explain what you do as a profiler?" asked Mrs. Wilson.

"Five other agents and I travel all over the country assisting law enforcement and FBI agents by profiling and apprehending serial killers." said Spencer.

"If traveling all over the country kept you from showing up for a reunion, why were you able to make it this time?" asked Mrs. Wilson.

"I got shot in the line of duty trying to protect a fellow agent seven weeks ago, and with how severe the gun shot wound is I'm on medical leave for another seven weeks." said Spencer.

"I'm glad that you're doing OK, Spencer." said Mrs. Wilson.

"Thank you." said Spencer.

"What about marriage?" asked Mrs. Wilson.

Spencer removed his hands from his pockets, causing a few gasps in the audience when a few students saw his wedding band.

"I got married on September 24th of 2011." said Spencer.

"Tell us about your wife." said Mrs. Wilson.

Spencer smiled.

"I met Olivia when I was taking a sabbatical from the FBI to teach chemistry at Cal-tech, and she's a fellow math genius who has a lot of common interests with me. We dated throughout my entire sabbatical before I ended up asking her to be my wife. She has been there for me when I come home from a case that highly affected me, and she always has the ability to make me smile and laugh." said Spencer.

"What about kids?" asked Mrs. Wilson.

Spencer grinned widely.

"Olivia and I have a total of three kids together since getting married." said Spencer.

"Tell us about your kids." said Mrs. Wilson.

"My oldest child Piper just turned two last week, and she was my very first Father's Day gift since she was born that day. She's a perfect mixture of my wife and I, and she has been an extreme daddy's girl since the first time I held her. My two youngest are fraternal twins Albert and Ava, and they turned a year old 26 days ago. Albert is practically a clone of me, and he's a mama's boy while Ava is a clone of my wife while also being a daddy's girl." said Spencer.

"Well, thank you Spencer for telling us about what you have done for the past 20 years." said Mrs. Wilson as she shook hands with Spencer while a majority of the audience cheered.

* * *

An hour later Spencer and Olivia were talking and laughing with Parker and Ethan when Benjamin joined them at their table.

"Glad to see you made it, Spencer." said Benjamin.

"I already had the time off arranged before getting shot, but now my wife, kids, and I are going to be here in Vegas for another five weeks since my boss forced me to take a minimum of three months off to recover." said Spencer.

Benjamin looked at Spencer.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your wife?" asked Benjamin.

"Benjamin, I would like to introduce you to my wife Olivia." said Spencer.

"Nice to meet you, Benjamin." said Olivia as she shook hands with Benjamin.

"Nice to meet you, Olivia." said Benjamin.

Spencer looked at Benjamin.

"Did you hear about the seminar on profiling I will be giving around the 4th of July?" asked Spencer.

"I'm definitely going to be there." said Benjamin.

Parker looked at Benjamin.

"Still a police officer?" asked Parker.

"Yes, and I actually worked with Spencer a few months back when he and his teammates were here for a case." said Benjamin.

"I guess you want to see those pictures." said Spencer.

"I do." said Benjamin.

Spencer pulled out his phone and started showing Benjamin photos.

"They're beautiful." said Benjamin.

A few other former classmates came over to either apologize for their actions, ask him about his career, or ask to see a picture of his kids.

* * *

As Spencer and Olivia exited the hotel, Spencer removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around Olivia.

"Thanks." said Olivia.

"You're welcome." said Spencer.

"Happy about the outcome of this reunion?" asked Olivia.

"I think so, and I can't believe that I received a lot of apologies since a few of their kids ended up being victims of bullies." said Spencer.

* * *

Two days later Olivia woke up to painful cramping and shook her husband awake.

"Spencer." said Olivia.

Spencer opened his eyes.

"What's wrong?" asked Spencer.

"I have some severe cramping." said Olivia as tears streamed down her face.

Spencer became alert, and after putting on his glasses and turning on a light he examined his wife.

"I know that it's not appendicitis since you had your appendix removed over two years and eight months ago, but I think that we should go to the hospital just to be safe." said Spencer.

"I think I can walk." said Olivia.

10 minutes later Spencer was knocking on Gordon's bedroom door, and after a minute of briefing Gordon about what was going on he was taking Olivia to the hospital.

* * *

Two hours later Olivia was laying in a hospital bed when a doctor entered the room.

"Are you on any birth control right now?" asked Dr. Dokey.

"I was on Nuvaring, and I decided to discontinue Nuvaring three months ago due to having to deal with constant yeast infections." said Olivia.

"When was your last period?" asked Dr. Dokey.

Olivia quickly did the math before her eyes went wide.

"Eight weeks." said Olivia.

Dr. Dokey wrote down some notes.

"You might think I'm pregnant?" asked Olivia as she thought about how Spencer's condom broke during that time.

"Based on your symptoms and already having your appendix removed and the lab work I ordered I think you might be suffering from an ectopic pregnancy, but I want the on call gynecologist to perform an ultrasound just to be safe." said Dr. Dokey as she pressed a pager to call an on call gynecologist who entered the room a minute later with ultrasound equipment and Spencer held Olivia's hand while a pelvic ultrasound was performed.

10 minutes later Dr. Brandt looked at Olivia sadly.

"You're suffering from an ectopic pregnancy, and I want to do laparoscopic surgery to save your life, Olivia." said Dr. Brandt.

Spencer looked at Olivia who had tears streaming down her face.

"It's going to be OK, Livy." said Spencer before looking at the on call gynecologist, "How soon do you want to perform the operation?"

"As soon as possible, but I need to know when was the last time you ate and drank." said Dr. Brandt as she handed Spencer the release forms that he quickly signed.

Olivia looked at the clock before stating what time she last eaten and drank something.

"I will give you two a few minutes alone before I take you to the operating room." said Dr. Brandt.

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were in the room alone, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Are you upset that we're losing this child?" asked Olivia.

"I am, but I know that if you don't have surgery you could die." said Spencer.

Olivia rested her hands on her still flat belly.

"Mommy and daddy love you, and you will be joining grandma Piper and grandpa Albert in Heaven." said Olivia as tears fell down her face.

Spencer rested his hands on Olivia's belly as a few tears fell down his face.

"You will be with my uncle Daniel too." said Spencer.

"We should give our lost child a name, but something gender neutral." said Olivia.

"How about Taylor?" asked Spencer.

"That would do." said Olivia before she rested her hands on her belly, "Daddy and I will be with you when we're ready, Taylor." said Olivia before removing her bridal set and passing it to Spencer.

"I will hang on to it." said Spencer as he pocketed Olivia's bridal set.

At that moment there was a knock on the door and Dr. Brandt and Dr. Dokey entered the room.

"You're ready, Olivia?" asked Dr. Brandt.

"Yes, and Taylor will be with my parents and Spencer's uncle Daniel." said Olivia.

"Good coping mechanism to give your lost child a name." said Dr. Brandt.

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"I love you, and I will be there when you wake up." said Spencer.

"I love you too, and please don't tell anyone except your uncle what's going on." said Olivia.

"I promise." said Spencer as he gave his wife one last kiss before she was wheeled away.

"Let's take you to the surgical waiting area." said Dr. Dokey.

"OK." said Spencer.

"How many kids do you have?" asked Dr. Dokey.

"A two year old daughter named Piper and 13 month old fraternal twins named Albert and Albert, and I have a feeling that when Olivia gets discharged we're going to be keeping our kids close to us at my uncle's." said Spencer.

"A lot of parents are like that after losing a baby they didn't know about, but naming the child that you and your wife just lost is a good coping mechanism." said Dr. Dokey as she squeezed Spencer's shoulder before heading to the receptionist about more patients.

A minute later Spencer was calling his uncle.

"What's wrong with Olivia?" asked Gordon.

"Livy's in surgery for an ectopic pregnancy, and neither of us had suspicions that she was pregnant." said Spencer.

"Ethel is here with me now. Do you want me to call anyone?" asked Gordon.

"Please don't since Livy and I are trying to process everything, and please tell the kids that their mommy and I love them." said Spencer.

"Let me know how Olivia is after surgery." said Gordon.

"I will." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

Spencer was sitting by Olivia's bedside when she woke up.

"How are you feeling?" asked Spencer gently.

"They removed the baby?" asked Olivia.

Spencer wiped the tears that were starting to fall down Olivia's face.

"They did, and they told us that we should give ourselves some time before trying to conceive another child while recommending that we talk to a counselor about the loss of our child." said Spencer gently.

"Have you talked to the kids yet?" asked Olivia.

"I have, and uncle Gordon is planning on bringing Piper since you have to stay throughout the day." said Spencer.

"Piper, Albert, and Ava will help cheer us up." said Olivia as she rested her hands on her flat belly.

"They will." said Spencer.

"Did you tell your father?" asked Olivia.

"I did, and he offered to fly out but I told him that we will be fine, but he told me to do this for you." said Spencer as he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

Meanwhile in Quantico, Virginia Garcia's computer gave an alert about one of their own being in the hospital and her eyes went wide when she saw that it was Olivia who was in the hospital, causing her to call Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was getting himself some breakfast when his cellphone rang and he saw that it was Garcia.

"What's up?" asked Spencer.

"Is Olivia OK?" asked Garcia.

Spencer became alert.

"Are you keeping track of our insurance records?" asked Spencer.

"After Piper's Kawasaki Disease episode I created a program that would alert me if any of you guys ended up in the hospital when you're not scheduled for a doctor appointment or procedure just in case any of you show up to work MIA again." said Garcia.

"That's considered stalking." sighed Spencer.

"But what's wrong? Don't lie to me since you sound sad." asked Garcia.

"Are the others still on a case?" asked Spencer.

"They are." said Garcia.

"Please don't tell anyone, but Olivia had an ectopic pregnancy, and she got out of surgery three hours ago. Neither of us knew that Livy was expecting since it was eight weeks since her last period, and we had to have Taylor removed or Olivia would have died." said Spencer and he didn't even know that Garcia burst into tears.

"Taylor?" asked Garcia.

"Livy wanted to name the baby that she lost, and we decided on a gender neutral name since it was too soon to find out the gender. The hospital psychologist praised us for deciding to name the baby that we lost." said Spencer.

"I'm glad that the hospital is offering their services to you two. Do you want anyone to come out to Vegas?" asked Garcia.

"We really don't want anyone here right now, and please don't tell anyone since we're trying to let the news of losing our would be fourth child sink in." said Spencer.

"I promise not to tell anyone, but I'm going to search for some support groups that you and Olivia can go to to for the duration of your stay in Las Vegas." said Garcia.

"Thank you, and I will get Livy to go to a few. I need to get going, and based on the sound of your voice I can tell that you are crying so you need to go wash up before you are contacted for help again." said Spencer.

"I'm here for you and Olivia. Please have her call me tonight if she's feeling up to it, and please give her a hug from me." said Garcia.

"I will." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

An hour later Spencer was reading to Olivia when they heard a familiar voice.

"Mommy! Daddy!" shouted Piper as she ran into her mother's hospital room.

"Hey there, Piper." said Spencer as he scooped up his oldest daughter and settled her onto his lap.

Piper looked at her mother.

"Have an owie?" asked Piper.

"I do." said Olivia.

"I kiss owie to feel better." said Piper.

Spencer got up and adjusted Piper so she could kiss Olivia's belly before settling Piper onto the side that Olivia didn't have surgery on.

"All better." said Piper.

"Thank you." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Piper fell asleep, and Gordon looked at Olivia.

"How are you feeling?" asked Gordon.

"Sore. Spencer and I didn't have any emotional attachment to Taylor since we never knew. And we talked to the hospital psychologist earlier and he said that it was smart to give our lost child a name." said Olivia quietly.

Gordon looked at his nephew.

"You remember about how your aunt Rachel died when you were 11 years old?" asked Gordon.

Spencer looked at his wife.

"Aunt Rachel died from an ectopic pregnancy when Andrew was nine years old, and we did the right thing removing Taylor so you can live." said Spencer.

Dr. Brandt came into the room and looked at Olivia.

"I just need to check you over, and if everything is going fine you can go home in an hour." said Dr. Brandt.

Piper woke up and saw an unfamiliar face in the room.

"Hi." said Piper.

"You must be Piper." said Dr. Brandt as she smiled at the two year old toddler.

"Mommy go home?" asked Piper.

"Let's have your daddy get you out of bed so I can check on her." said Dr. Brandt.

Spencer looked at Piper as he removed her from the bed.

"How about we go to the gift shop and find mommy some candy." said Spencer as he swooped Piper onto his shoulders.

"OK daddy." said Piper.

"I will come with you two." said Gordon.

A minute later Olivia looked at Dr. Brandt.

"At least I had two successful pregnancies before losing Taylor." said Olivia.

"That's true, and with your age you still have plenty of time to have another child." said Dr. Brandt as she checked over her work while giving Olivia post operation instructions.

* * *

Later that night, Spencer and Olivia were laying side by side in bed and Spencer looked at Olivia.

"How are you doing love?" asked Spencer.

"I'm sad that we lost our would be fourth child, but I was told that we have plenty of time to try for another one since we're both young and healthy." said Olivia.

"That's true, and Garcia knows since she set up an alert system for when you, the kids, or I end up in the hospital." said Spencer.

"Did she tell anyone?" asked Olivia.

"She promised not to tell, but she sent me information about support groups that we can attend for the rest of our stay in Vegas." said Spencer.

Olivia yawned.

"We should get some sleep since you need your rest, and we're still going to be keeping the kids close to us tomorrow." said Spencer.

"I know." said Olivia.

"I love you." said Spencer.

"I love you too." said Olivia.

* * *

 _A/N: I apologize again for having Spencer and Olivia lose a child that they didn't even know that they were expecting, but I was asked through a PM if I was going to have Spencer and Olivia deal with at least one miscarriage in my Spencer/Olivia universe. And let's just say that only Garcia will know until I get to The Forever People when Spencer tells JJ that he knows what it's like to lose a child while mentioning that he and Olivia are attending counseling for the child they lost._


	31. 4th of July

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison and tannerose5/hairbrain1947 for reviewing chapter 30._

 _The second half of this chapter will be a bit more cheerful due to the 4th of July, but JJ's husband Will couldn't come to Vegas due to work._

* * *

Spencer woke up to crying. As soon as he had his glasses on, he was holding Olivia in his arms while saying soothing words, and when Olivia was done crying she looked at him.

"Sorry." said Olivia.

"It's OK for us to cry over the loss of Taylor." said Spencer before wiping his own tear that was falling, "While you were in surgery, I cried over our loss."

"If Taylor ended up in my uterus instead of my tubes, the baby would have been due around Valentines Day." said Olivia.

"I know, sweetheart." said Spencer as he stroked Olivia's hair, "Just let it all out."

Olivia started sobbing again, and Spencer just held his wife until she cried herself to sleep while allowing a few tears of his own to fall.

* * *

Five hours later Spencer was fixing himself and Olivia two breakfast plates when Piper looked at her daddy from her booster seat.

"Ere's mommy?" asked Piper.

"She's not feeling well so she's still in bed, and she's most likely going to be there all day." said Spencer.

Gordon looked at his nephew.

"Go take Olivia her breakfast, and I will keep the kids occupied today." said Gordon.

Two minutes later Spencer was waking up Olivia.

"Livy, I brought you some breakfast." said Spencer.

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were quietly eating their breakfast.

* * *

An hour later Spencer pulled out his phone and sent Alex a text message.

ARE YOU ABLE TO SKYPE? ~ SR

A minute later his phone vibrated.

I AM. IS EVERYTHING OK? ~ AB

Spencer quickly sent a reply.

I'D RATHER TALK TO YOU FACE TO FACE, BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO CONTACT MY TEAM. ~ SR

A minute later Alex replied.

I'M BY MY LAPTOP AND WAITING FOR YOUR VIDEO CALL. ~ AB

Two minutes later Spencer was sitting in the guest bedroom, Skyping with Alex on his tablet.

"You've definitely got a slight tan since arriving in Vegas a week ago." said Alex.

"I haven't spent every single minute indoors, and four days ago Livy and I took Piper kayaking on Lake Mead." said Spencer.

"How did Piper handle it?" asked Alex.

"She loved it." said Spencer.

"So why did you want to Skype with me and ask me not to tell my former teammates?" asked Alex.

"Yesterday night Olivia woke up to severe cramping, and we went to the hospital where we found out that Livy was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy." said Spencer.

"I'm so sorry." said Alex as she realized that she wished she was in Las Vegas to comfort Spencer and Olivia, "How far was she?"

"She was six weeks pregnant, and we didn't have any emotional attachment since we didn't know about Taylor at all." said Spencer.

"Taylor?" asked Alex.

"Before Livy was taken to the operating room, we decided to name the baby Taylor." said Spencer.

"Who knows about Taylor?" asked Alex.

"You, dad, uncle Gordon, aunt Ethel, Garcia, but no one else since we're not ready to tell everyone." said Spencer.

"Why Garcia?" asked Alex.

"She had our insurance information flagged after Piper came down with Kawasaki Disease, and she promised not to tell anyone until Livy and I are ready. But she did give me some information about support groups Livy and I can attend until we come back to DC." said Spencer.

"I think going to those groups would be a good idea. James and I went to a few meetings after Ethan passed away." said Alex before she thought of someone else, "What about your mom?"

"I'm going to go see her after lunch, and knowing my mom she's going to want to be checked out of the hospital so she can comfort Olivia here." said Spencer.

"With Olivia's mother being gone, a mother in law is the next best choice." said Alex.

"I know." said Spencer.

"With you now being on leave until September 1st, I hope that you, Olivia, and the kids can come up to Boston for a day or two." said Alex.

"Livy and I were already talking about coming up to Boston since we're using the extra time I've been given to do some traveling." said Spencer.

"I have to get going, and please give Olivia a hug for me. I know that you can't forget that I'm always one phone call away if you or Olivia ever need to talk." said Alex.

"I know." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer knocked on the open door of his mother's room, and Diana smiled when she saw her son.

"I thought that you were bringing Olivia and my grandchildren today?" asked Diana.

"The kids are napping and Olivia ended up in the hospital in the middle of the night yesterday." said Spencer as he sat down by his mom.

"What happened?" asked Diana.

Spencer took a deep breath before trying to make eye contact with his mom.

"An ectopic pregnancy, and it was either lose the baby or lose them both." said Spencer.

At that moment Diana had a lone tear streaming down her face while she looked at her son.

"You two made the right choice." said Diana.

"I know, mom." said Spencer.

"How are you handling the loss of your would be fourth child?" asked Diana.

"I really didn't have an emotional attachment to the baby since we didn't know Olivia was pregnant until we were at the hospital, but it does hurt that Livy and I won't be having our fourth child yet." said Spencer.

"You two are both young and healthy enough to try again in the future, and Olivia does deserve to have more time to recover from giving birth to three babies in less than a year." said Diana.

"I know, but Livy and I decided to name the baby that we lost." said Spencer.

"What did you name the baby?" asked Diana.

"Taylor since it was too soon to find out the gender." said Spencer.

"A good gender neutral name, just like yours." said Diana.

Spencer gave his mom a small smile.

"Now how is Olivia doing?" asked Diana.

"She was discharged yesterday evening, but she woke up crying during the night, and I just comforted her by hugging her and saying soothing words as she cried herself to sleep again." said Spencer.

"That's the best way to help her cope, just being there for her." said Diana.

"That's what the hospital psychologist told me." said Spencer.

"Can I go visit her?" asked Diana.

"I think having her mother in law by her would be a good idea." said Spencer.

"Do you think you can find out if I can stay for the night so I can help entertain my grandchildren?" asked Diana.

Spencer gave his mom a small smile.

"Let me go check with Dr. Jesson, but you are going to need to take your medication on time." said Spencer.

"I promise to take my medication since I don't want to scare my grandchildren." said Diana.

"Your episodes used to scare me when I was little." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was talking to Dr. Jesson, and before he knew it Nurse Elizabeth was helping Diana get ready while Spencer was listening to Dr. Jesson's instructions.

* * *

Spencer and Diana entered Gordon's house, and Piper squealed when she saw her grandma.

"Nana." said Piper as she ran over to her grandma who scooped her up right away while her daddy set down Diana's bags.

"Hello, Piper." said Diana as she squeezed her oldest grandchild tightly.

"Mommy's in bed. Al and Ava are aking a nap." said Piper.

Gordon entered the living room from the kitchen.

"Hey, sis." said Gordon as he hugged his twin sister.

"Hello, Gordon." said Diana.

"You planning on helping me out with the kids?" asked Gordon.

"I am." said Diana as she felt Piper become a dead weight, "I think someone decided to take a nap."

"She refused to go down for a nap when she found out that you were coming over." said Gordon as he collected Piper from his sister, "I'm going to go put her down while you two go check on Olivia."

Spencer and Diana followed Gordon towards the stairs.

"How is she?" asked Spencer.

"She was pretty much napping the entire time you were gone, and I agree that having her mother in law over should help her." said Gordon.

A minute later Spencer and Diana were in Spencer's bedroom, and they heard Olivia sniffling in her sleep, causing Diana to sit on the bed by her daughter in law and start stroking Olivia's hair, "It's alright Olivia." soothed Diana as she motioned for her son to exit the room.

As soon as Spencer left the bedroom, Olivia opened her eyes and saw her mother in law in the room.

"What are you doing here, Diana?" asked Olivia as she got herself into a sitting position despite feeling a bit of pain from moving.

"Spencer told me about Taylor, and I thought that since your mother can't be here for you I am the second best choice since you became a daughter to me when you married my son." said Diana gently as she hugged her daughter in law who started sobbing, "I know what it's like to lose a child since Spencer knows that I dealt with a miscarriage before I got pregnant with him. It's going to get better after taking some time to grieve, and knowing Spencer, Piper, Albert, and Ava they will help you smile." said Diana as she comforted her daughter in law.

* * *

Diana exited the bedroom, and as soon as she heard Piper's giggling she headed downstairs and laughed at the sight of her son crawling around the living room on his hands and knees with Piper on his back.

"Playing horsey?" asked Diana.

Piper grinned when she saw her grandma.

"Nana." said Piper as she scrambled off her daddy's back before running towards her grandma who scooped her up right away.

"How is she?" asked Spencer as he stood before flexing his bad knee.

"She's asleep." said Diana as she sat on the couch where Albert and Ava toddled over to her, causing Spencer to lift the twins onto the couch before sitting down with Ava on his lap.

"Thank you for comforting her." said Spencer.

"You're welcome, Spencer." said Diana.

"Pwease read to us Nana." said Piper.

Diana looked at her brother.

"Can you grab one of the books that I packed?" asked Diana.

"Sure, sis." said Gordon.

A minute later Diana was reading out loud to her brother, son, and grandchildren.

* * *

An hour later Spencer was sitting on the porch swing with his mom, and Diana looked at her only child.

"I'm glad that you're spending part of your medical leave out here, Spencer." said Diana as she looked at Spencer's fully healed scar.

"I am too." said Spencer.

"Excited about your upcoming trip to London?" asked Diana.

"I am, but I just wonder if Olivia will be up to going when we go in a few weeks?" asked Spencer.

"I think she will be up to that trip, and you two do need a vacation of your own." said Diana.

"Is there anything special you want to do while I'm still out here?" asked Spencer.

"I think having you, Olivia, and my grandchildren out here is enough since I rarely get to see five of my favorite people due to you guys living in Washington DC." said Diana.

"I really like living in DC since I never get bored there, but I'm glad that I made it into the BAU." said Spencer.

"Sometimes I wish that you would accept a posting near the west coast." said Diana.

"I know, but I bet you remember the letters I sent you during my first winter out there, complaining about the cold." smiled Spencer.

"I do, but I did enjoy the pictures you sent me after experiencing your first snowstorm." said Diana.

"At least Hotch helped make sure that I was ready for my first winter while offering me rides so I didn't have to venture out to the subway station in the cold." said Spencer.

Olivia stepped onto the porch and saw Diana and Spencer sitting on the porch swing.

"Come join us, Olivia." said Diana.

Olivia sat down on the other side of Spencer who wrapped an arm around her.

"How are you feeling?" asked Spencer.

"I'm in less pain than I was in yesterday." said Olivia.

"Feel like you're ready to go to that support group that Dr. Brandt recommended for us tomorrow?" asked Spencer.

"I want to go tomorrow." said Olivia.

Olivia's stomach growled, and Spencer looked at his watch.

"It's time for supper, and I believe that uncle Gordon was talking about making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer, Diana, and Olivia were inside the house and while Spencer and Gordon worked on making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, Diana and Olivia played with the kids.

* * *

The following evening Spencer and Olivia entered the room where the ectopic pregnancy support group was being held, and after the meeting was over Spencer and Olivia walked to their SUV.

"Are you glad we attended this meeting?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, and I'm thinking that we should continue to attend these type of meetings when we get back to DC." said Olivia.

Spencer opened the front passenger door for Olivia, and as soon as Olivia was buckled in he got into the drivers seat.

"I find it helpful talking to other people who understand." said Spencer.

"Just like Beltway Clean Cops?" asked Olivia.

"Yes." said Spencer before he started the SUV.

"Let's go see if your uncle is doing OK with three toddlers." said Olivia.

Spencer pulled out of the church's parking lot, and an hour later they were asleep in their bed.

* * *

A week later Spencer was putting the hose away after watering uncle Gordon's plants when three SUVs pulled up, and his eyes went wide when he saw his teammates, Jack, and Henry get out of the SUV.

"UNCLE SPENCER!" shouted Jack and Henry as they ran over to Spencer who hugged both boys instantly while everyone else made their way over.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Spencer.

"Henry and I are missing you." said Jack.

Spencer looked at his two nephews.

"I missed you two boys." said Spencer before he released his nephews and accepted hugs from his teammates.

"You've definitely gotten yourself a bit of a tan after being here for over two weeks." said Morgan.

"I have been told, but even though it gets over 100 degrees out here, I'm not spending all of my time indoors." said Spencer.

"Where are Olivia and the kids?" asked JJ.

"The kids are napping, Olivia is grocery shopping with uncle Gordon, and aunt Ethel is cleaning inside the house while keeping an eye on the munchkins." said Spencer before looking at his teammates, "Are you guys out here for a case that caused Garcia to tag along while leaving Olivia and I with Jack and Henry?"

"We have off for the 4th of July, and we thought that you could use some back up on the seminar you're giving tomorrow." said Hotch.

"Plus I can't miss the opportunity to join everyone in Las Vegas." said Garcia.

"At least I will finally get to introduce you to chicken fried lobster." said Spencer.

* * *

Piper grinned and ran over to her godfather, who scooped her up right away.

"I miss you, uncle Aaron." said Piper.

"You being a good girl for everyone?" asked Hotch.

"Yes." said Piper.

JJ looked at her goddaughter.

"Where's my hug?" asked JJ.

Hotch set Piper down, and she ran over to JJ who scooped her up right away.

"You have definitely gotten bigger since the last time I saw you." said JJ as she hugged her goddaughter.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"We ide ponies?" asked Piper.

"It's too hot outside to ride ponies right now, but I will wake you up in the morning to ride Nikola." said Spencer.

"I think someone is going to want horseback riding lessons when she's old enough." said Rossi.

"Livy and I were already planning on signing all three kids up for riding lessons when they're old enough." said Spencer.

Gordon and Olivia came into the house, and Gordon looked at Spencer's teammates.

"Are you all staying for tonight's barbecue?" asked Gordon.

"We are." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at his uncle.

"You knew that they were coming?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, that's why I had to run to the grocery store. There's more groceries in the car, so I need help bringing the rest inside." said Gordon.

Spencer, Morgan, and Hotch headed outside and a few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were helping Gordon put groceries away while Spencer's teammates entertained Piper, Albert, and Ava.

* * *

After everything was cleaned up in the yard, Garcia looked at her family.

"How about you guys head to the hotel, and I will have Spencer bring me over later." said Garcia.

"Why?" asked JJ.

Gordon looked at everyone.

"I asked Penelope to look over my laptop." said Gordon.

A few minutes later Hotch, Morgan, JJ, Rossi, Jack, and Henry headed to the hotel, and after Piper, Albert, and Ava were in bed, Garcia was sitting in the living room with Spencer and Olivia.

"How are you two doing?" asked Garcia.

"We're doing OK, and we have attended an ectopic pregnancy support group that you found for us." said Olivia.

"Are you still wanting to attend a support group when you guys get back to DC?" asked Garcia.

"We're already planning on it." said Olivia.

Garcia reached into her bag and pulled out a bag of mixed nuts and seeds.

"I did some research, and I thought that getting you two some mixed nuts and seeds would help since they contain-" said Garcia.

"Serotonin." said Spencer.

"Exactly." said Garcia as she handed Olivia the bag.

"Thank you." said Olivia.

"You're welcome." said Garcia as she got up and hugged Olivia.

"Have you told the others yet?" asked Spencer.

"I haven't." said Garcia.

"Thank you for keeping our secret." said Olivia.

"You two do have the right to keep a few things private." said Garcia.

"Well let's get you to the hotel since we have a busy day tomorrow." said Spencer.

* * *

As Spencer, Hotch, Morgan, Rossi, Morgan, JJ, and Garcia were packing up their equipment, Detective Ramirez approached them.

"What are you guys doing for the 4th of July tomorrow?" asked Detective Ramirez.

"We're having a barbeque at my uncle's ranch, and we're going to watch the fireworks from there since he lives outside the city." said Spencer.

* * *

The next day after garbage was cleaned up, Jack and Henry looked at Spencer.

"Can we see you ride a horse?" asked Jack.

"It's cooled down enough that I can show off some of my riding skills, and if Piper wasn't napping she would insist on riding with me." said Spencer.

10 minutes later Spencer was riding around Gordon's property, and Jack and Henry were cheering at some of the jumps they watched their uncle Spencer make before Gordon looked at Jack and Henry.

"Have you two ever ridden a horse?" asked Gordon.

"At the fair." said Jack with Henry nodding in agreement.

Gordon looked at Hotch.

"Jack's big enough that he can ride a horse on his own, but I want you to be by him at all times." said Gordon.

"What about me?" asked Henry.

"You get to ride with me, buddy." said Gordon.

10 minutes later both Jack and Henry were on a horse, and after a few minutes of riding, Spencer approached them on Nikola.

"You two boys having fun?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, uncle Spencer." said Jack.

* * *

As soon as the fireworks started, Spencer quickly got up and ran towards the house and Hotch who had Piper on his lap looked at Olivia.

"I will go to him." said Hotch as he passed Piper to Olivia.

Two minutes later Hotch found Spencer sitting at the kitchen island.

"You OK?" asked Hotch.

"Since it's been eight weeks I thought that I could handle the fireworks tonight, but sometimes I really hate post traumatic stress disorder." said Spencer.

Everything clicked for Hotch since he recalled that Spencer didn't have any problem with watching fireworks a year ago.

"Hearing fireworks reminds you of the shootout in Texas?" asked Hotch.

"Yes." said Spencer.

Olivia came into the house with Piper.

"You OK daddy?" asked Piper as she made her way over to her daddy.

Spencer scooped up Piper and settled her onto his lap.

"The fireworks are too loud for my liking." said Spencer.

"I seepy daddy." said Piper.

"You want to go to bed?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

"I'm tired, too." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Going to put Piper to bed before turning in yourself?" asked Olivia.

"Yes." said Spencer before looking at Hotch, "Even though it's been eight weeks, I'm still dealing with energy issues."

"We will let the others know that you're turning in for the night." said Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer as he stood up before swooping Piper onto his shoulders.

Two minutes later Hotch and Olivia were outside, and Albert and Ava instantly toddled over to their mother.

"Seepy, mama." said Albert.

Olivia lifted both Albert and Ava before looking at her husband's teammates, Gordon, Jack, and Henry.

"I'm going to put these two to bed, and I will be out here as soon as they are in bed." said Olivia as she headed towards the house.

As soon as Olivia was inside with the twins, Morgan looked at Hotch.

"Is Reid OK?" asked Morgan.

Hotch made sure that Jack and Henry weren't listening before looking at Morgan.

"The fireworks are reminding him of the shootout in Texas, and with Piper and himself being tired he decided to head to bed." said Hotch.

"He's still dealing with energy issues?" asked Morgan.

"Yes." said Hotch.

"I won't get to say goodnight to uncle Spencer?" asked Henry.

"You won't Henry, but he's coming with us to the airport tomorrow to say goodbye." said JJ

* * *

The next day Spencer was saying goodbye to his teammates, Jack, and Henry at the airport.

* * *

 _A/N: The next chapter will involve Spencer's and Olivia's trip to London._


	32. Spencer's and Olivia's Second Honeymoon

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, but I do own my OCs Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 31._

 _I'm not going to write about every location Spencer and Olivia go to while in London, but these are the tourist destinations that they go to._

 _The London Eye_

 _The Science Museum_

 _Oxford University_

 _Merton University_

 _Westminster Abbey_

 _Buckingham Palace_

 _The British Museum_

 _This chapter starts when Spencer and Olivia got off the plane in London. They boarded a plane to DC at 9 PM Pacific time (They are going to be on two planes for over 13 hours) and when they got to DC they had a four hour layover since Spencer had to explain why he's going to London (Spencer didn't brief anyone why he was going to Mexico prior to "Spencer", so I will have him follow proper channels to explain why he's going to London since he works for the US Government)_

* * *

Spencer and Olivia grinned when they saw Emily waiting for them at the gate.

"Welcome to London." said Emily as she made her way over to one of her favorite couples and hugged them.

"Glad that you could pick us up." said Olivia.

"I finished work an hour ago." said Emily.

"Are you taking us to our hotel?" asked Spencer as he, Olivia, and Emily headed to the baggage claim.

"First I'm taking you two out for dinner before treating you to a ride on the London Eye and dropping you off at the hotel." said Emily.

"The London Eye was on our list." said Olivia.

"You two made a list of what you two want to do?" asked Emily.

"We're only here for a week, and we want to squeeze in as much as possible." said Spencer.

"Good thinking." said Emily.

A few minutes later the trio was heading to Emily's car.

* * *

While they were waiting for their food, Emily looked at Spencer.

"You're looking much better than you did at the twins birthday party." said Emily.

"I know." said Spencer.

"Who knew that spending over two weeks in Vegas can give you a healthy tan?" asked Emily.

"Like I told everyone else, even though it reaches over 100 degrees during this time of the year in Vegas, we're not spending every minute indoors since we're making sure to go outside while staying hydrated." said Spencer.

"And we introduced Piper to kayaking last week." said Olivia as she pulled out her phone and found a picture she took of a grinning Spencer and Piper sitting on a kayak together.

"I miss that girl." said Emily.

"She's always asks us when you're coming to visit after a Skype chat." said Olivia.

"At least you two get to take home some presents I have for her and her siblings." said Emily.

Spencer snorted.

"Piper already one spoiled little girl, and I know that I'm a huge part of spoiling her since I sometimes have a hard time saying no to her." said Spencer.

"She has you wrapped around your finger and it doesn't help that she inherited your eyes and pout." teased Olivia as she showed a picture of Spencer and Piper who were both showing the same pout, causing Emily to laugh.

"Does Piper get Hotch to cave in like you do?" asked Emily.

"She does." smirked Spencer.

Emily decided to bring up the next week.

"So what attractions are you two going to see during the next week?" asked Emily.

"The Science Museum." grinned Spencer.

Emily lightly slapped Spencer on the shoulder as she laughed.

"Only you Spencer." laughed Emily.

"I'm interested in that museum too." said Olivia before looking at her husband, "We're not getting any of the kids a chemistry set yet."

Spencer pouted causing Emily to laugh.

"I really miss seeing you nearly every day." said Emily.

"Are you sure you can't take off the entire time we're here?" asked Spencer.

"I can't since I have to make sure that my team behaves, but I do have tomorrow off." said Emily.

"We are going to the science museum tomorrow." said Spencer.

"I'm going to join you two since I miss hearing your science ramblings." said Emily.

At that moment the waitress came by with their food, and while they ate Emily briefed Spencer and Olivia about what has been going on with her life.

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, and Emily stood on the London Eye and as it moved, Emily pointed out some of the sights.

"There's Interpol, and my office actually has a view of the London Eye." said Emily as she pointed out where her office would be, "My office should be right there."

"Nice." said Spencer.

"Mind if you take a picture of us?" asked Olivia as she passed Emily her cellphone.

"Not at all." said Emily.

A minute later Emily was looking at the picture she took of a grinning Spencer and Olivia who were in each other's arms with the view of the city in the background.

"How's this?" asked Emily as she showed the young couple the picture.

"Perfect." said Olivia.

"Thank you." said Spencer.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer and Olivia were watching TV in their hotel room, Olivia looked at her husband.

"Just so you know, I have been cleared for sex." said Olivia as she winked at her husband.

"But we need to wait a couple of months before trying to conceive again while we continue to grieve over Taylor." finished Spencer.

"Yes, but I would like to wait until Albert and Ava are two years old and done wearing diapers until we try again." said Olivia.

"I'm OK with that." said Spencer.

Olivia passionately kissed her husband.

* * *

The following morning Spencer, Olivia, and Emily were at the Science Museum, both women were giggling as they watched Spencer walk ahead of them like a kid who was given free reign in a candy store, and Emily looked at Olivia.

"Your husband's enthusiasm is one of the many things I miss about working with him every day." said Emily.

"You should have seen how much coffee he drank this morning since he wanted to spend the entire day here." said Olivia.

"Oh boy." muttered Emily.

Emily's phone vibrated and she saw a text from Clyde Easter.

I WANT TO TAKE YOU, DR. REID, AND DR. REID'S WIFE OUT FOR DINNER TONIGHT. DINNER'S AT SEVEN, AND THE FOUR OF US WILL HAVE TO DRESS UP. ~ CE

"You remember my boss, Clyde Easter?" asked Emily.

"I do." said Spencer.

"He wants to take us all out for dinner, and he said that we would have to dress up a bit." said Emily.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"At least we packed one of your best suits and one of my favorite dresses." said Olivia.

"Dinner's at seven, and I will pick you two up from the hotel." said Emily.

The trio finished up their day at the museum before Spencer decided to buy Jack and Henry each a chemistry set.

"I'm not sure if Aaron and JJ would appreciate it." teased Emily.

"I will tell the boys that they will use it at my house under my supervision." said Spencer.

Emily and Olivia laughed before Emily looked at the clock.

"Let's go get you to the hotel so you can get ready." said Emily.

* * *

Later that evening Spencer, Olivia, and Emily entered the restaurant where Clyde Easter was waiting for them and when they reached their table, Clyde looked at Spencer.

"Nice to see you again, Dr. Reid." said Clyde as he shook hands with Spencer.

"At least it's under better circumstances." said Spencer before introducing Clyde to his wife.

As the four adults sat down, Clyde looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"Whenever Emily gets a new picture of your kids, she always makes sure to show me the pictures after showing her team." said Clyde as he thought back to Emily's first day back at Interpol.

 _Flashback_

 _Emily looked at Clyde as they headed to her new workspace._

 _"You remember my coworker, Dr. Spencer Reid?" asked Emily as she showed Clyde a picture of her and Spencer together._

 _"He's the genius that you told me about?" asked Clyde._

 _"Yes." said Emily._

 _"Why are you mentioning him?" asked Clyde._

 _"He got married last September, and he and his wife are going to be welcoming their first child within the next 10 weeks. So as soon as I get the phone call about Olivia going into labor or already has given birth, I am going to ask for time off immediately since I promised Spencer that I would come visit as soon as Piper's born." said Emily firmly._

 _"What would you do if I refuse to give you time off to meet Piper?" asked Clyde._

 _"I would resign and head back to the states immediately to accept a job offer that would put my degrees to use, or I would put the saying of never mess with a woman who carries a gun to use." said Emily._

 _Clyde laughed._

 _"Spencer's like a little brother to me, and I'm not going to wait a few months to meet my first niece." said Emily._

 _Four weeks later Clyde was sitting in his office when his phone vibrated and he saw a picture message from Emily. He couldn't help but smile when he realized that Emily sent him a picture of a newborn baby girl who was staring at the camera._

 _PIPER ANN REID BORN ON JUNE 17TH, 2012. MY NEW NIECE IS FIVE POUNDS FOUR OUNCES. SPENCER'S OVER THE MOON ABOUT HIS FIRST CHILD BEING BORN ON FATHER'S DAY. ~ EP_

 _Four months later a grinning Emily entered Clyde's office._

 _"I just got this in the mail, and it is so cute." said Emily._

 _Clyde looked at the Christmas card and he recognized a longer haired Spencer with a brunette woman who were both holding signs saying "I'VE BEEN NAUGHTY AGAIN.", Piper who had a sign saying "I HAVE BEEN A GOOD GIRL.", and a blown up ultrasound photo that said "I'M THE REASON WHY MOMMY AND DADDY HAVE BEEN NAUGHTY FOR A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, BUT I WILL BE HERE IN JUNE OF 2013."_

 _"I take it that you want to be in the United States for Christmas even though you traveled there for your birthday?" asked Clyde._

 _"Yes. Spencer told me over our last Skype chat that he's going to be getting his tonsils removed on Monday, and I would like to be there by the 20th since Olivia is having the end of first trimester ultrasound that day and knowing Spencer he will figure out the gender." said Emily._

 _"I was already planning that you're off so you can be in the United States for Christmas." said Clyde._

 _Flashback ended_

"I always show my teammates pictures that I am sent when I'm on cases." said Spencer

"Speaking of cases. I heard that you got injured during your last case, and that you're still on medical leave." said Clyde

"I got shot in the neck, and even though it's been nine weeks I'm pretty much back to my normal self, though I occasionally deal with moments of fatigue." said Spencer

Olivia looked at her husband.

"And it doesn't help that you wake up at five AM every morning so you can ride Nikola over the past four weeks." said Olivia.

"Nikola?" asked Clyde.

"We have been staying at my uncle's ranch in Las Vegas the past four weeks since we wanted to spend part of my medical leave closer to my mom, aunt, uncle, and cousin. My uncle has five horses, and my personal horse is named Nikola and I've had him since I joined the BAU, but he stays at my uncle's ranch so I know that I always have a place to stay when I'm out there visiting." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and found a picture of him on Nikola to show Emily and Clyde as he continued to talk, "With it reaching over 100 degrees during the day, the best time to go riding is during sunrise and sunset."

"I never got to see you ride a horse, even though you have talked about horseback riding before." said Emily.

"Everyone else already got to see me ride since we had a case in Vegas in March, and Hotch, Rossi, JJ, Morgan, Garcia, Jack, and Henry surprised us at my uncle's ranch since they came out for the 4th of July last week." said Spencer.

A few minutes later everyone was eating what they ordered, and while they ate Spencer and Olivia told Clyde about their kids while he told them about some of his travels.

* * *

Three hours later, Spencer and Olivia were sitting by their laptop and a few minutes later they grinned when they saw Piper, Albert, and Ava sitting on their uncle Gordon and aunt Ethel's laps.

"Hey." said Spencer.

All three toddlers addressed their parents by either mommy and daddy or mama and Dada.

Spencer looked at Piper.

"You being good for uncle Gordon and aunt Ethel?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

Gordon looked at his nephew.

"We ended up taking them for ice cream." said Gordon.

"I bet the ice cream was yummy." said Spencer.

"Yummy yummy in my tummy." said Piper as she rubbed her tummy.

Spencer and Olivia laughed at their oldest child's antics.

"What do you think of London so far?" asked Gordon.

"I am enjoying the history that the city is showing since some of the buildings have been around since medieval times, survived the Great Fire of 1666, and bombings during both world wars." said Spencer.

"See auntie Emmy?" asked Piper.

"We saw her today, and when we get back I'm supposed to give you a hug and kiss from her." grinned Spencer.

Spencer and Olivia listened to Piper tell them what she did during the day, and before they knew it Spencer and Olivia had to sign off since it was nap time for the kids, and as Spencer placed the laptop in his messenger bag, Olivia looked at her husband.

"Even though this is our third night away from the kids, how in the world can you handle being away from them this long?" asked Olivia.

Spencer sighed.

"Even though I can manage being away from the kids this long, I have been dealing with homesickness ever since my first case after Piper's birth. After taking care of my nightly routines I would pull out the photo album that I bring with me and look at pictures every night before turning in. But I do know that as soon as I put an unsub away, I get to go home to you and the kids unless there's an emergency case if the other domestic teams are on a case." said Spencer.

* * *

The following morning, Spencer looked at Olivia as they were getting dressed for the day.

"Should we check out the University of Oxford today?" asked Spencer.

"Sure." said Olivia.

"Don't forget Merton College since I always wanted to see the Merton College Library." smiled Spencer.

"At least we rented a car, but it's going to be fun driving on the opposite side of the road while the steering wheel is on the right side instead of the left side." said Olivia.

"That's definitely going to be an adventure." said Spencer.

* * *

After Spencer and Olivia toured University of Oxford, Olivia smirked at her husband.

"I'm not even shocked that a few professors have read your published articles and gotten hold of your dissertations." said Olivia.

"I get job offers from the University of Oxford at least once a year, and maybe when I retire from the FBI we can think about moving out here so we can teach." joked Spencer.

Olivia laughed and lightly slapped her husband's chest.

"Even though I am still getting use to colder winters in DC, I'm not sure if the both of us will handle winters out here. Let's go get something to eat before we head to Merton College to explore their library." said Olivia.

* * *

Spencer's eyes went wide when he saw the Carfax Tower.

"We're standing by the Carfax Tower which is one of the locations where the St. Scholastica Riot happened in 1355." said Spencer as he started describing the event to Olivia who listened intently, and when Spencer was done speaking Olivia stood on her tiptoes and kissed her husband on the lips. She pulled away when there were some wolf whistles from a group of teenage boys.

"What was that for?" asked Spencer.

"I just wanted to kiss you since I love you." said Olivia.

"I love you too." said Spencer.

* * *

After they got back to the hotel, Olivia looked at her husband.

"Since there's about three more hours before sunset, I'm thinking about going for a swim. Want to join me?" asked Olivia.

"Going to wear a waterproof bandage over your still healing scar?" asked Spencer.

"I'm already planning on it." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were in their swim suits and applying sun block, and 10 minutes later they were claiming two lounge chairs by laying their towels over them and Olivia looked at her husband.

"I'm going to lounge for a bit while watching you swim." said Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer.

Less than a minute later Olivia was watching her husband swim laps in the pool, and when Spencer was on his 10th lap she saw a woman who looked to be in her mid twenties watching her husband with interest just like her.

"Who are you watching?" asked Olivia.

"That brunette man who's swimming laps. As soon as he gets out I'm thinking about asking him out for tea." said the woman.

Olivia inwardly smirked since she knew that the woman would be upset that she wouldn't get to ask Spencer out.

"He's going to turn you down." said Olivia.

"Why?" asked the woman.

"He's an American who's on his second honeymoon just like me, and if you haven't noticed my bridal set you would probably figure out why he would say no." said Olivia sweetly.

The woman noticed Olivia's bridal set before noticing a glint of gold on Spencer's left ring finger while he continued to swim laps.

"You're his wife." said the woman.

"I've been married to him for nearly two years and ten months, and since getting married we have three kids." said Olivia before watching her husband do a flip in the water before starting another lap, "As much as I enjoy watching my husband swim laps, I'm going to go join him before we end up having mommy and daddy time in our hotel room since we're only in London for four more days before we head home to our kids." said Olivia as she stood up, and 20 seconds later she was swimming laps with her husband.

* * *

After they shut the door of their hotel room, Olivia deeply kissed Spencer on the lips and before they knew it they were passionately making out in bed while knowing what was going to happen next.

* * *

An hour later Olivia looked at her husband who was covered in sweat just like her.

"We should probably get the chlorine washed off ourselves." said Olivia as she winked at her husband.

"Round two?" asked a smirking Spencer.

"Yep." said Olivia.

Spencer and Olivia got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom where they took a long shower together.

* * *

The following morning Spencer and Olivia were walking out of the underground and heading towards Westminster Abbey. Spencer looked at his wife while they walked.

"Geoffrey Chaucer is actually buried there." said Spencer as he took in the sights of the Gothic building.

Olivia had to smile at her husband's enthusiasm about being in one of the places where one of his mother's favorite authors was buried.

"I already knew that, Spencer." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia joined a tour group that was starting, and Olivia and Spencer listened in silence despite Spencer already knowing the history of Westminster Abbey.

* * *

Later that afternoon Spencer and Olivia grinned when they saw a rack that contained children and adult Dr. Who pajamas.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Spencer.

"We get ourselves and the kids brand new Dr. Who pajamas?" asked Olivia.

"Yes." said Spencer as he found pajama pants and a t-shirt that he likes, "Found the pajamas I want, and I'm thinking that I should also get flannel pajamas for this winter." said Spencer as he found a pair of flannel pajamas in his size.

"Might as well get us and the kids each two sets of pajamas, and I am thinking with it being summer, night gowns will work for Piper and Ava." said Olivia as she held up a night gown that would fit Ava.

"For the flannel pajamas we might as well get the kids bigger sizes so they can grow into them." said Spencer.

20 minutes later Spencer and Olivia walked out of the store with satisfied smiles on their faces as they carried a few bags.

* * *

Three days later Spencer and Olivia were hugging and kissing their kids who ran over to them as soon as they set down their bags.

"I miss you, daddy." said Piper as she hugged her daddy.

"I missed you too." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Switch?" asked Olivia.

"Yes, please." said Spencer.

30 seconds later Spencer was hugging his 14 month old twins while Olivia hugged her oldest daughter.

"Daddy and I got you some presents." said Olivia as she grabbed the luggage that contained presents for the kids and a minute later Piper was squealing at her new Dr. Who night gown.

"Who!" shouted Piper before hugging her mommy, "Ank you mommy."

"I'm glad you love it." said Olivia.

Spencer looked at his oldest daughter.

"Want to wear it tonight?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

"Do you also want to sleep with mommy and me tonight?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, and Al and Ava seep wit us too." said Piper.

"I think that can be arranged since mommy and I missed all three of you munchkins." said Spencer as he looked at Olivia who nodded in agreement.

* * *

After Piper, Albert, and Ava were bathed and put into their new pajamas, Spencer, Olivia, and the kids were cuddling on the couch together watching Dr. Who, and uncle Gordon looked at the family of five.

"Want me to take a picture of you guys?" asked Gordon.

"Yes please, since Penelope wants to see a picture of us in our new Dr. Who pajamas." said Olivia.

Gordon grabbed Olivia's phone off the coffee table, and 30 seconds later he was taking a picture of the family of five. A half hour later Spencer, Olivia, and the kids were fast asleep in Spencer's bedroom.

* * *

Two weeks later Diana was hugging her son, daughter in law, and grandchildren goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you guys." said Diana before looking at her son, "Please call me as soon as you guys get back to DC to let me know that you made it safe."

"We promise." said Spencer.

"What time are you guys hitting the road?" asked Diana.

"5 AM tomorrow, and Livy and I are going to take turns driving through the day before stopping at a pet friendly hotel in Denver, Colorado for the night. And Alex arranged that we have dinner at her father's place when we drive through Kansas City, Missouri." said Spencer.

"Are you going to miss working with Dr. Blake?" asked Diana.

"I am, but I know that I can guest lecture for her." said Spencer.

"Now go back to my brother's and get some rest since you have a long day on the road tomorrow." said Diana.

"Yes, mom." said Spencer as he gave his mom one last hug and a kiss on the cheek before Diana could hug Olivia and her grandchildren again.

* * *

Four days later William was hugging his son, daughter in law, and grandchildren.

* * *

 _A/N: Next chapter will take place a month later when Spencer goes back to work, so that means that Kate Callahan will be making her appearance soon._


	33. Back to Work & 3rd Wedding Anniversary

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison and Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 32._

 _This chapter takes place a month after chapter 31 which will deal with Spencer's first day back at work and Spencer's and Olivia's third wedding anniversary. So that means that Kate Callahan will be making an appearance in the next chapter._

 _I'm glad that Diana Reid is OK, but I am upset that we have to wait until season 13 to find out if JJ, Luke, Walker, Rossi, Tara, and Emily are alive._

 _I'm already brainstorming on what I can do to Cat and Lindsey to prevent the pain they put Spencer through (I can't believe that Cat tried to convince that she had Lindsey help her get pregnant with Spencer's child only to find out that it was Wilkin's baby.), and I'm planning it that Spencer decides to leave the BAU after A Good Husband since the kids are getting older and need their father around more._

* * *

Spencer was sitting on the exam table while Olivia sat in a nearby chair when there was a knock on the door, and Dr. Black entered the room.

"It's been awhile since I had a follow up with you, but I have to say that you look much better than you did during your last appointment since you earned a healthy tan." said Dr. Black as he washed his hands before putting on some latex free gloves.

"Spending six weeks in Las Vegas while going on a second honeymoon in London for a week was just what I needed." said Spencer.

"Since you were due for a full physical next week, I am going to perform that while checking over your neck." said Dr. Black.

"OK." said Spencer before looking at Olivia, "I don't mind if you're in the room Livy."

Dr. Black decided to check over Spencer's neck before starting the physical, and after Dr. Black was finished he looked at Spencer after jotting down his notes.

"You're fit to return to work on Monday, and despite the occasional pain you're dealing with, I don't see that you're going to have any problems with being back in the field." said Dr. Black.

"Are you planning on faxing the information to my boss?" asked Spencer.

"I was already planning on it since he sent me a message asking me to send me the return to work clearance papers instead of handing them to you." chuckled Dr. Black.

Spencer lightly shook his head in amusement, and five minutes later Spencer and Olivia were heading home.

* * *

Two days later while Spencer and Olivia were getting ready for bed, Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Even though I'm glad that Dr. Black medically cleared me to go back to work, I'm going to miss being home every day." said Spencer.

"As much as I enjoyed having you home 24/7 during the past three and a half months I'm going to miss having you home every day too, but you do have to go back to work." said Olivia.

Spencer yawned.

"Let's get some sleep since I have to start waking up early again." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep in their bed.

* * *

Spencer groaned when his alarm clock went off, and a few minutes later he and Olivia were getting dressed for the day. As Olivia helped her husband straighten his tie, they heard their kids summon them through the baby monitor causing the young couple to head into the hall just as William came up the stairs.

"I deal with Piper while you two deal with the twins?" asked Spencer.

All three adults headed to the designated nurseries, and a few minutes later he was helping Piper get dressed and Piper thought back to her daddy telling her that he was going back to work.

"I don't want you to go." said Piper as she burst into tears.

A heartbroken Spencer spoke up.

"There are times that I don't want to go to work either, but if I don't go I can lose my job." said Spencer as he worked on brushing the tangles out of Piper's shoulder length light brown wavy hair before grabbing two ponytail holders and putting Piper's hair put in pigtails. When he was finished helping Piper get dressed he looked at his oldest daughter "Let's go see about breakfast."

"I want anana pancakes." said Piper.

"Banana pancakes it is." said Spencer as he swooped Piper up and settled her onto his shoulders just as Olivia and William exited Albert's and Ava's nurseries each with a twin on their hips.

"Piper wants banana pancakes for breakfast." said Spencer.

"Lets get downstairs then." said Olivia.

* * *

While Spencer was putting his dirty dishes in the sink his cellphone vibrated and he saw a text message from Hotch.

JUST PULLED UP. ~ AH

"My ride is here." said Spencer.

"Got your revolver?" asked Olivia.

"It's in my messenger bag along with my badge." said Spencer as he gave each toddler a kiss on the head before pecking Olivia on the lips.

"Call me if you get a case." said Olivia as she looked at her husband with worried eyes.

"I promise." said Spencer.

A minute later Spencer was getting into the passenger seat of Hotch's car and Hotch looked at him.

"Ready for your first day back?" asked Hotch.

"Ready as I will ever be, and I know that you received the return to work clearance papers from Dr. Black and the reports from Dr. Andrews about my mental well being." said Spencer.

"I did, and with the mild case of PTSD you're going through, you know that if you need to talk my office door is always open." said Hotch.

"I know." said Spencer before looking at Hotch, "Piper threw a tantrum this morning since she didn't want me to go back to work."

"Understandable since you got to focus on being a father for three and a half months while recovering." said Hotch.

"I already know about the welcome back party that Garcia's throwing for me." said Spencer.

"How did you know about the party?" asked Hotch.

"I ran into Anderson at the grocery store yesterday, and he warned me." said Spencer.

Hotch shook his head before becoming serious.

"You have a shooting evaluation at 9:00, and I'm going to wait outside until after your evaluation." said Hotch.

"I know, and I did practice my shooting while I was in Vegas. At first I had a flashback to the shoot out, but now I can shoot my revolver without flashing back." said Spencer.

"Good." said Hotch.

"I just can't believe that my third wedding anniversary is in 24 days if I count today." said Spencer.

"Me either, but I'm glad that Olivia entered your life since I have a feeling that if you weren't married and a father you would have pushed me to allow you to come back to work much sooner." said Hotch.

"I think so too, but I'm glad that I spent the past three and a half months with my family who's related to me by blood and a past marriage." said Spencer.

"I just hope that you consider being more careful when I allow you to participate in raids." said Hotch.

"I'm already planning on it, but I have a feeling that you are having me station bound during my first case back just to get used to being back to work." said Spencer.

"I am." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer entered the range where Agent Foster was waiting for him.

"It's been a long time since I saw you in here Dr. Reid, but I'm glad to hear that you're fully recovered." said Agent Foster.

"I'm glad that I'm cleared for duty, but let's just say that Piper threw a tantrum this morning when I was getting her ready for the day." said Spencer.

"Other than Piper throwing a tantrum, how are the kids?" asked Agent Foster.

Spencer pulled out his phone and showed Agent Foster a picture that he took the night before of all three kids wearing their Dr. Who pajamas.

"Piper's now two years old, and the twins are now 15 months old." said Spencer.

"Your son keeps looking more like you every time you show me a new picture." said Agent Foster.

"I know." said Spencer.

Agent Foster decided to become serious since he had another agent to test in an hour.

"You ready?" asked Agent Foster.

"I am." said Spencer.

As soon as Agent Foster gave him the OK to fire, he started firing his revolver, and after the test was over Agent Foster looked at the target before smiling at Spencer.

"You passed with flying colors, Agent Reid." said Agent Foster.

Spencer smiled in relief while Agent Foster thought back to when he first met Spencer.

"I just can't believe that you're not the same 21 year old cadet who walked through these doors the first time anymore since your shooting really improved over the years." said Agent Foster before looking at Spencer, "How old are you going to be turning on your next birthday?"

"33 years old next month." said Spencer.

Agent Foster looked at the clock.

"You better head back to the BAU and let everyone know how you did." said Agent Foster.

"I better go tell Hotch the news since he's waiting outside the room." said Spencer.

"Then go tell him, and I will see you again for testing in six months." said Agent Foster.

A minute later Spencer stepped outside the shooting range where Hotch was sitting in a nearby chair, and Hotch looked at Spencer who's face was neutral.

"How did you do?" asked Hotch.

"I passed with flying colors." said Spencer as he uncovered his holster with his suit jacket.

Hotch gave Spencer a rare smile as he patted Spencer on the shoulder.

"Well let's head to the BAU since the others are waiting for us." said Hotch.

Five minutes later Spencer and Hotch exited the elevator, and Garcia was waiting for them.

"There's a case." said Garcia.

"Let's go then." said Hotch.

A minute later Spencer, Hotch, and Garcia entered the conference room and Morgan, JJ, and Rossi were shouting welcome back to Spencer while hugging him or kissing him on both of his cheeks by Rossi before Spencer burst out laughing.

"You knew?" asked JJ.

"I ran into Anderson at the grocery store yesterday and he warned me, but I appreciate the welcome back party since it's been three and a half months since I was in this building." smiled Spencer.

"I'm going to ruin Andreson's credit score." muttered Garcia.

Spencer looked at Garcia.

"Please don't." said Spencer.

"So how was your shooting evaluation?" asked Morgan.

Spencer moved his suit jacket, and everyone smiled at the sight of Spencer's revolver being in its holster.

"Passed with flying colors." grinned Spencer.

Garcia's phone vibrated and she looked at the others.

"We really have a case, and I'm going to need an hour to set up the presentation." said Garcia.

Hotch looked at his team.

"Might as well get working on those consults." said Hotch.

A few minutes later Spencer was sitting at his desk putting the new photos that he packed into his messenger bag onto his desk, and he smiled at the picture of him, Olivia, and the kids with his mom before looking at JJ.

"Even though I enjoyed spending the past three and a half months being with my family that's related to me by blood and marriage, I am glad to be working with my work family again." said Spencer.

"I am too since we missed hearing your insight the past three months." said JJ.

"How's Hotch doing with finding a replacement for Alex?" asked Spencer as he looked at Alex's empty desk.

"He has done two interviews so far, and there are more agents that he's planning to interview before making a decision." said JJ.

"When Livy, the kids, and I were in Boston last week, Alex told me that we're always welcome to say hi to her if we have a case in Boston." said Spencer.

"Let's get working on those consults before we head up to the conference room." said JJ.

Spencer started to dig into his files, and 55 minutes later he found out where he was going.

* * *

Meanwhile in Washington DC, Olivia was watching her phone to see if she would get a call from Spencer causing William to look at his daughter in law who was watching Piper, Albert, and Ava play with their toys.

"You worried about Spencer being back to work?" asked William.

"I am, and I know that he always doesn't participate in raids and take downs." said Olivia.

"When I saw the article about Spencer getting into the BAU, one of my first thoughts was heading to Quantico and tell Spencer that he should have done something else like a private sector." said William.

"I knew that he had a life before we became a couple, but I know that I can't stop him from doing what he loves unless he decides to leave the BAU himself for a safer position." said Olivia.

Olivia's cellphone rang and she saw that it was Spencer.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia worriedly.

"Going home to Las Vegas again and Hotch already mentioned that I'm going to be station bound for my first case back since I haven't been in the field for over three and a half months. But the good news is that I passed my shooting evaluation." said Spencer.

"That's great, and please make sure you visit mom." said Olivia.

"I'm already planing on it. Are the kids nearby?" asked Spencer.

"They are including dad, and I am going to put my phone on speaker so you can let the kids know that you're going bye bye." said Olivia.

Piper perked up and looked at her mommy.

"Daddy's on the phone." said Olivia as she pressed the speaker button, "You're now on speaker." said Olivia causing Piper, Albert, and Ava all to come over to the coffee table where her phone was.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hi Dada." said Ava.

"Hey munchkins." said Spencer.

"Hi Spencer." said William.

"Hi dad." said Spencer.

"You go bye bye?" asked Piper.

"Daddy's going bye bye for a few days, and I will call you three munchkins at bedtime to recite a bedtime story." said Spencer.

At that moment there were voices in the background, and Spencer spoke up.

"I have to go since we're heading to the jet now. I love you guys, and I will call later." said Spencer before hanging up.

Piper, Albert, and Ava burst into tears causing Olivia and William to comfort all three toddlers.

* * *

After Spencer quickly finished reading the file, he looked at Hotch.

"I know the detective we're working with this time, and I saw him a few times when I was in Vegas for six weeks." said Spencer.

"I remember him." said Rossi.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"How about you take a few minutes to find out if your mom's in town." said Hotch.

"I think I will." said Spencer as he got up and a minute later he was hearing his mom's voice.

"Aren't you suppose to be at work Spencer?" asked Diana.

"I'm currently on the jet mom since my first case in the field is in Las Vegas." said Spencer.

"Are you going to come visit me?" asked Diana.

"I'm already planning on it." said Spencer before continuing, "I have to get going, and I will call you before I come by."

"Love you, Spencer." said Diana.

"Love you too, mom." said Spencer before hanging up.

30 seconds later Spencer was sitting by his teammates again.

"She's lucid?" asked JJ.

"She was, and she's excited about me coming to visit." said Spencer.

Hotch decided to become serious.

"Now let's start on victimology." said Hotch.

* * *

Three hours later Spencer entered the police department with Hotch and Detective Hyde approached them. Spencer looked at Detective Hyde.

"You already know me, but this is my boss Agent Hotchner." said Spencer.

Hotch shook hands with Detective Hyde before Detective Hyde looked at Spencer as he thought back to seeing Spencer, William, Diana, and a woman who he learned was Spencer's wife at Binions in June before meeting the kids when he saw Spencer with them at the park.

"How's your dad, wife, and kids?" asked Detective Hyde.

"They're doing well." said Spencer.

"When there's time to catch a break, I hope to see new pictures." said Detective Hyde.

"I will show you some later." said Spencer.

* * *

When it was 8:30 PM DC time, Spencer pulled out his laptop so he could Skype with Olivia and the kids, and he grinned at the sight of Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava sitting in his and Olivia's bed wearing Dr. Who pajamas.

"Hi daddy." grinned Piper.

"Having a sleepover with mommy tonight?" asked Spencer.

"Yes daddy." said Piper.

Spencer pouted at four of his favorite people causing Piper, Albert, and Ava to giggle while Olivia shook her head in amusement.

"I wish that I was with you four, but as soon as I come home we can have another sleepover." said Spencer.

"Yay." squealed Piper, Albert, and Ava.

"Want me to recite a bedtime story to you guys before I have to get back to work?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

"This is the book we picked out." said Olivia as she showed Spencer the book.

"OK." said Spencer and took a deep breath before he started reciting "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch as Olivia showed the kids the pictures when he noticed Piper was reading along, and when he was finished he smiled softly when he saw that all three toddlers were asleep, "I would call you later, but I don't want to wake them up."

"Call us in the morning if you can, and your dad wants you to tell Detective Hyde that he says hello." whispered Olivia.

"I will, and I have to get going." whispered Spencer.

"Love you." whispered Olivia.

"Love you too." whispered Spencer before he and Olivia signed off.

A minute later Spencer was heading back to his teammates who were having a working dinner with Detective Hyde and Spencer looked at Detective Hyde.

"Even though I didn't talk to my dad during the Skype chat I just had with Livy and the kids, but my wife told me to tell you that my dad bids hello." said Spencer.

* * *

The following afternoon Alexa Nichols's eyes went wide when she saw Spencer speaking to the press on TV. As she listened to Spencer and his coworker talk, she realized who the unsub that Spencer and his coworker were describing was, causing her to look at her 10 year old daughter who was working on her homework.

"Sarah?" asked Alexa.

Sarah looked up.

"Yes mom?" asked Sarah.

"We're going to pack up your homework and we're going for a ride." said Alexa.

"OK mom." said Sarah.

* * *

25 minutes later Spencer was sitting in the conference room with his teammates and Detective Hyde when a female officer came into the room.

"There's a woman and a little girl here here asking to speak to Dr. Spencer Reid. She has information to help you guys with the case and she's asking for protection." said the officer.

"Please send them here, and have someone sit with the girl." said Hotch.

Two minutes later the officer came back into the room with Alexa.

"What's wrong, Alexa?" asked Spencer.

Anger flashed in Morgan's eyes, but then he recalled that she apologized to Spencer.

"I know who the guy you're trying to catch is and you're one of the few people who I can trust at the moment." said Alexa.

At that moment Spencer noticed the lack of wedding band on Alexa.

"You think the killer is Thomas?" asked Spencer.

"The women who were murdered look just like me." said Alexa as she started to explain what's going on.

"So the upcoming divorce is the stressor." said Spencer.

"Thomas who?" asked Morgan.

Spencer closed his eyes as painful memories of how Thomas tormented him and steeled himself before he spoke again.

"Thomas Nichols. He was one of the worst bullies that lurked the halls in high school and I was one of his favorite targets. He was the captain of the football team, and he was dating Alexa throughout high school." said Spencer.

"What did Thomas do to you during high school?" asked Detective Hyde.

Spencer started explaining a few things what Thomas has done to him while mentioning the goalpost incident, and when he was finished Alexa looked at the others.

"I treated Spencer badly in high school too, but I ended up apologizing to him at the high school reunion that happened less than two months ago since my daughter has been a target of bullies." said Alexa.

Hotch became serious.

"Do you know where your husband is currently staying and working?" asked Hotch.

Alexa gave the addresses and Hotch looked at Spencer.

"You stay here with Alexa and her daughter." said Hotch.

"Yes sir." said Spencer.

* * *

While Spencer was helping his teammates pack up, Detective Hyde looked at Spencer.

"Mind if I speak to you in my office?" asked Detective Hyde.

Spencer noticed the guilt showing in Detective Hyde's eyes right away.

"If you're going to apologize for not listening to my mother about Gary Michaels before allowing Lou Jenkins to take the law into his own hands leading to the events of my parents divorce, since you ended up learning how bad high school was for me due to Thomas, please don't." said Spencer.

"Why?" asked Detective Hyde as he noticed Spencer's teammates watching them.

"With how bad my childhood ended up when it came to being a target of a serial child molester, having a mentally ill mother that my dad couldn't even handle being married to before he walked out when I was 10, and being a victim to severe bullying I know that my painful childhood is what led me to join the FBI." said Spencer before taking a deep breath and continuing, "When I was told that I was going to be a father, I thought about leaving the FBI for a safer job that would pay more than my current salary while getting the chance to go home to my wife and kids every night, but I knew that I had to continue working for the BAU since I knew that I was making this country a safer place for my kids and other kids in this country by putting one serial killer away at a time."

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"We're not going to stay the night since I have an interview to give tomorrow at 9 AM, so if you want to visit your mom you should probably go now." said Hotch as he tossed Spencer the keys to the SUV, "I will grab your go bag from the hotel, so meet us at the airport in two hours."

"Yes sir." said Spencer as he grabbed his messenger bag and exited the conference room.

* * *

Two and a half hours later Spencer was playing gin with Hotch, JJ, and Morgan and JJ looked at Spencer.

"How was your visit with your mom?" asked JJ.

"Half of the visit she was lucid and enjoyed seeing new pictures and videos of the kids, and during the second half of the visit she became Professor Reid." said Spencer.

"I thought that she was doing well?" asked JJ.

"She still has some bad days." said Spencer.

"Did she have any during the six weeks you, Olivia, and the kids were out there?" asked Morgan.

"There were four times that she thought Olivia and I were her students and that Livy and I brought the kids along since we couldn't find a sitter." said Spencer.

"How did Piper take it?" asked JJ.

"She got scared, but I explained to her that her grandma's sick and there are times that she won't remember who she is." said Spencer.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"How are you doing with one of your past bullies ending up being the unsub we had to arrest?" asked Morgan.

"Would you believe It that I'm glad that he's finally in jail after everything he put me through in high school?" asked Spencer.

"Was he at the reunion?" asked JJ.

"He was and he was glaring at me when Alexa apologized to me about how she treated me, but I'm glad that most of my classmates who tormented me apologized since some of their kids became victims to bullies." said Spencer.

* * *

Three weeks later Spencer and Olivia entered one of their favorite restaurants in Alexandria, and a few minutes later they were taken to their table that had a vase filled with three roses.

"Three roses to show that we have been married for three years." murmured Spencer as he pulled out Olivia's chair before Olivia sat down.

"Such a gentleman." said Olivia as she felt Spencer push in her chair before he took a seat across from her.

"My mom did raise me to be chivalrous." smiled Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were waiting for their food.

"So is there anything special you want to do for your 33rd birthday in 15 days?" asked Olivia.

"Just a big family dinner like we did for my past two birthdays." said Spencer.

Spencer and Olivia talked about anything but work, and before they knew it they were talking and laughing over their meal.

* * *

As soon as they got home, they saw William sitting on the couch watching the news.

"Kids asleep?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said William.

Spencer yawned, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"I did have plans for us, but with it being a school night for you I don't want to keep you up any longer." said Olivia.

"Well I'm going to head to bed, so I will see you two in the morning." said William.

"Night dad." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were getting into their pajamas, and Spencer looked at Olivia.

"We might as well exchange gifts before we get some sleep." said Spencer as he pulled Olivia's gift out from its hiding place.

A minute later Olivia gasped when she saw the latest professional family portrait that was done three weeks ago burned onto leather.

"I love it, Spencer." said Olivia.

"I'm glad you love it." said Spencer.

"Now it's your turn." said Olivia as she grabbed a box out of her hiding spot under the bed.

A minute later Spencer was looking at a brand new messenger bag.

"Yours was getting a bit worn out, and I thought that a new one should be your anniversary gift." said Olivia.

"Thank you." said Spencer as he kissed Olivia on the lips.

* * *

The next morning Spencer walked into the bullpen, and a few minutes later he was joining his teammates at the coffee pot.

"How was your anniversary celebration last night?" asked Rossi.

"Livy loved my gift to her." said Spencer.

"What was it?" asked Garcia.

"I had the latest family portrait that was done three weeks ago burned onto some leather." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and showed Hotch, Morgan, Rossi, JJ, and Garcia a picture of his anniversary gift to Olivia.

"Nice." said Rossi.

"Now I have an idea on what I can get Will next May." said JJ.

"What did Olivia get you?" asked Morgan.

"A brand new leather messenger bag since my old one was getting worn out." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at his agents.

"We might as well get to work, and I have an interview in 30 minutes." said Hotch

Spencer and JJ headed to their desks in the bullpen while Rossi, Hotch, Morgan, and Garcia headed to their own offices.

* * *

 _A/N: Kate Callahan will be in the next chapter since I'm finally at the season 10 storyline of this story._


	34. X

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 33._

 _OhSnapItsMadison: I'm planning that Spencer's still an FBI agent, but he will be working on a different floor while teaching profiling at the academy. And he will still be in contact with his teammates unlike Morgan has been doing._

* * *

At 3 AM Spencer's cellphone rang. He saw that it was Garcia, causing him to get out of bed and grab his phone before heading to the library while he answered his phone.

"Is there a case?" asked Spencer with a sleep filled voice.

"No, but I wanted to see if you were OK since I had a nightmare about Greg Baylor killing you with the Carbenicillin he almost injected in you." said Garcia.

"I was able to make sure that I wasn't injected with Carbenicillin, and we can talk in the morning after I get a few more hours of sleep." said Spencer tiredly.

"Sorry that I woke you up, sweet cheeks." said Garcia before hanging up.

A minute later Spencer was back in bed with Olivia who was fast asleep.

* * *

Three and a half hours later Spencer and Olivia were getting dressed for work, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Garcia called you again to see if you're OK?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah." sighed Spencer as he buttoned up his crisp white dress shirt.

"I take it that she's dealing with PTSD like you have." said Olivia.

"I think so too since she had a nightmare of me being injected with Carbenicillin." said Spencer as he grabbed his tie and handed it to Olivia who helped him put it on.

Olivia straightened her husband's tie before running a hand through his hair.

"I just love the curls that are forming as your hair grows out." said Olivia as she played with her husband's curls.

"So you don't want me to get a haircut yet?" asked Spencer.

"Not yet." said Olivia.

Spencer and Olivia heard the kids through the baby monitors and exited the bedroom to go deal with the kids right as William came upstairs.

* * *

Two and a half hours later Spencer approached a closing elevator, and before the elevator door completely closed he used his messenger bag to open it, causing him to see another agent right away.

"Sorry. Hi." said Spencer as he waved with his left hand.

Kate noticed the tall agent's wedding band as he stepped into the elevator.

"Good morning. Which floor?" asked Kate.

"Uh, 6," said Spencer before looking at the keypad to see that Kate was going to the same floor as him, "pl- hmm, you, too." said Spencer before he stood next to Kate and studied her for a few seconds before bringing up where he's possibly seen her before and who's team she's on, "Karaoke at the Benjamin."

Kate looked at the tall agent.

"Excuse me?" asked Kate.

"You were singing karaoke at the Benjamin the night it closed." said Spencer.

Kate nodded, and she quickly thought back to who on Hotch's team has an excellent memory making her realize that she was talking to the Dr. Spencer Reid that Andi and Ashley have told her about.

"I was. Good memory. Billy Joel might have died a little that night." joked Kate.

"Sadly, he was not the only one. He got us started, but we went on to do a 6-song set." said Spencer as he thought back to his and Olivia's rendition of "Ghost Busters."

Kate laughed.

"The eighties took a fatal hit, if I remember correctly." said Kate before looking at Spencer, "Have you seen the place that took over? It's like techno and twerking."

"It's not really my crowd." said Spencer.

"What? You don't twerk?" asked Kate.

Spencer thought about when Olivia explained to her what twerking was as Kate thought that he didn't know what it was.

"I was-I was kidding. I don't twerk either." said Kate.

Spencer nodded as the elevator door opened, and as they headed to the bullpen Spencer quickly opened up the glass doors for Kate and himself.

"Ah. A gentleman and a scholar." said Kate.

Spencer looked at Kate.

"Agent Hotchner's office is the first one at the top of the stairs." said Spencer as he pointed while holding up his messenger bag.

"Thanks." said Kate.

"Good luck." said Spencer before he headed to his desk where he got settled in before Rossi, Morgan, JJ, and Garcia entered the bullpen together and as soon as he heard the conversation about Emily not coming back he decided to put Garcia at ease.

"For what it's worth, Hotch is interviewing someone we've met before." said Spencer.

"He is?" asked JJ as she looked up at Hotch's office.

"How many candidates is that now?" asked Morgan.

"This one makes lucky number 10." said Rossi.

"What? See, this is what happens when I don't sleep. I miss things. Who is this person? Are they nice? Why is that the first question I always ask?" asked a rambling Garcia.

Spencer looked at Garcia.

"You couldn't go back to sleep after calling me last night at 3 AM to see if I was alright?" asked Spencer.

Morgan looked at Garcia.

"You're still calling Reid in the middle of the night?" asked Morgan.

JJ and Rossi looked at Garcia since they also knew about it going on.

"Yes." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at Garcia.

"Have you talked to a therapist at all?" asked Spencer.

"For the mandatory psych evaluation, but instead of talking about my sleep habits I want to know about the agent that you claim we have all met before." said Garcia.

"Kate Callahan from Andi Swan's team, and she was at the Benjamin the night it closed." said Spencer.

After talking for a few minutes, Garcia's phone vibrated and she looked at her teammates.

"He's at it again." said Garcia.

"Bakersfield?" asked Spencer.

Garcia nodded, and a few minutes later Spencer was sitting with Garcia, JJ, Morgan, and Rossi in the conference room before Hotch and Kate entered the room.

"Everyone, this is SSA Kate Callahan from Andy Swan's unit. She'll be joining the team." said Hotch.

"Hi." said Kate.

"Congratulations." said Spencer.

"Thanks." said Kate as she took a seat next to Spencer.

"How are Andy and Seaver doing?" asked Morgan.

"Oh, they're great and they say hello." said Kate.

"Welcome, welcome." said Garcia.

"We can get started." said Hotch.

"Yes, we can." said Garcia before clicking her remote. "The mad butcher of Bakersfield has left another torso in the desert. This brings the body count to 3 this month and still none of them have been identified."

"At this pace he's going for a record." said Rossi.

"Yeah, and quite the imagery. What's he trying to say? A torso by itself has no life." said Kate.

"Right. It can't survive. It might be how he sees himself." said Rossi.

"It could also be a simple forensic countermeasure. He dumps the torso after getting rid of all the pieces that can identify his victims." said JJ.

"That would make sense for someone who's criminally sophisticated, but this guy's leaving his DNA all over the torsos." said Morgan.

"Well, we've kept tabs in CODIS. He's not in any system. But it's still a risk for him and taunt to us." said Rossi before looking at Spencer who was deep in thought, "Hey, Einstein." said Rossi causing Spencer to look up before he spoke again, "You're awfully quiet."

Hotch, JJ, Morgan, and Garcia looked at Spencer since they thought about how quiet Spencer has been since he returned from medical leave a month prior.

"I'm just reading here the M.E. thinks the victims were alive for 48 hours while he disarticulates." said Spencer.

"That means the unsub's sexual gratification comes from cutting." said Kate.

"Exactly. He wouldn't go to these extremes if he were merely discarding the limbs. He obviously enjoys the ritual. It's some kind of torture." said Spencer.

"So if it isn't about easy disposal, the limbs could be his trophies." said Morgan.

"He'll need preserving agents and isolation. Garcia, come up with a list of suppliers in Southern California. We'll cross that with a geographical profile when we have it." said Hotch.

Spencer looked at Garcia.

"Keywords sodium dioxide and silicate." said Spencer.

Garcia looked at Spencer.

"You're the best. Thank you." said Garcia.

"Tell them we're on our way." said Hotchner.

"Yes, sir." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at Rossi as he gathered his stuff.

"Calling me Einstein makes me think you're trying to summon my dog." said Spencer.

Kate looked at Spencer.

"You have a dog named Einstein?" asked Kate.

"A nearly three old chocolate lab, and he's really gentle." said Spencer.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"I believe that a certain woman, two little girls, and one little boy are waiting for your phone call to let them know that daddy's going away." said Rossi.

"I'm calling Olivia now." said Spencer as he removed his phone from his pocket and called Olivia who answered on the first ring.

"You have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Bakersfield, California." said Spencer.

"The kids are by me right now, so how about I put them on before you catch that flight." said Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer.

Olivia put her phone on speaker, and a minute later he heard Piper's voice.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hi Dada." said Ava.

"Hey there my three little monkeys. Daddy has to go away for a few days, and when I get home we can go to the zoo." said Spencer.

"Yay." said Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

"Daddy loves all of you, and I will try to call at bedtime." said Spencer.

"I love you daddy." said Piper.

"Love you too Piper." said Spencer.

"Wuv ya Dada." said Ava.

"Love you too Ava." said Spencer.

"Wuv ya daddy." said Albert.

"Love you too Albert." said Spencer.

Olivia clicked her phone off speaker.

"Please stay safe, Spencer." said Olivia.

"I will try Livy, and I also got a new teammate." said Spencer.

"You can tell me about your new teammate later, but you should go catch that flight. I love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

As soon as Spencer pocketed his phone, Kate looked at him as she thought about the birth announcement that Andi shared over a year ago.

"How old are your kids now?" asked Kate.

"You saw the birth announcements that I sent to Andy?" asked Spencer.

"She showed both announcements to the entire unit, and she and Ashley mentioned that they worked with you before." said Kate.

Spencer grabbed the latest family portrait off his desk and showed it to Kate.

"Piper is two years old, and Albert and Ava are currently 16 months old." said Spencer as he pointed out which girl is which.

Kate looked at the photo, and she couldn't help but smile at the picture of the color coordinated family all smiling for the picture.

"They're so adorable, and Albert looks just like you." said Kate.

"Olivia and the kids are my life, and eventually I will have to tell you about how I met Olivia." said Spencer.

"You better, and I can tell you how I met my husband." said Kate.

JJ looked at Spencer and Kate.

"At least the three of us will get to bond over having spouses to go home to." said JJ.

At that moment Hotch stepped out of his office and looked at his agents.

"Let's go." said Hotch.

* * *

"The mad butcher. 100 bucks says we have the media to thank for that one." said Kate.

"This is Los Angeles. They make everything a spectacle." said JJ.

"I'm sure he's getting off on it." said Kate.

"They always do." said JJ.

"He spared the second victim the mutilations, but the first and latest are covered. There's no clear purpose. Maybe he's experimenting." said Morgan.

"Or he's trying to remove something that could identify those victims, like tattoos, birthmarks." said Kate.

"Still hard to believe we can't ID. a torso. I mean, back in the day I'd get it, but nowadays everyone might as well have a microchip." said Rossi.

"Cutting that first victim seems extreme. I wonder if he's linked to him somehow." said JJ.

"None of the victims matched any missing persons reports and were likely chosen for their anonymity. Southern California's notorious for its transient community." said Spencer as he thought about the nine years he spent in Pasadena.

"Going after high-risk victims makes sense for this guy. I mean, there's nothing about him that's particularly unique." said Morgan.

"Except he first attacked a male and then moved on to females." said Rossi.

"That's strange, 'cause a fantasy this advanced is usually specific to one type." said Kate.

"Well, there was no DNA left on this male victim. So it isn't overtly sexual like his other victims." said JJ.

"So he's either a victim of opportunity or necessity." said Kate.

"3 victims in a month means he's got something to prove." said Hotch.

"Either to himself or the rest of us." said Rossi.

"All right, when we land, Morgan, you and Reid go to the medical examiner. Dave and Kate go to the latest disposal site. And JJ and I will get set up with Lieutenant Banks at the PD." said Hotch.

Kate looked at Spencer.

"Didn't you and your wife sing "Ghost Busters" at that karaoke party?" asked Kate.

"It was Olivia's song choice, but it was definitely a fun 1980's song to sing." said Spencer.

* * *

"No head, hands, prints, or dental records. He's not making it easy." said Dr. Lee.

"What do you know about this victim?" asked Morgan.

Spencer crossed his arms as Dr. Lee talked.

"I haven't completed the internal exam yet, but if she's anything like the others, she'll have traces of some leather particulate in her stomach." said Dr. Lee.

"So maybe he gags them with a belt as he tortures? He's definitely a sexual sadist." said Morgan.

"That's my guess. What I know for sure is she's got a good muscle tone and even has tan lines from a sports bra, indicating she's active." said Dr. Lee as Spencer looked at the remains.

"Both females were in shape, not malnourished?" asked Spencer.

"No." said Dr. Lee.

Spencer looked at the remains again.

"It's unlikely they were transients. What do we know about the offender?" asked Spencer.

"He has a decent knowledge of the anatomy." said Dr. Lee.

"You think he has medical training?" asked Morgan.

"Not necessarily. He could be a butcher or a hunter. The first step in amputation is ligating the supplying artery and vein, which the offender did." said Dr. Lee.

"Well, that would make sense if he's trying to keep them alive for the torture." said Morgan.

"The next step would involve an oscillating saw, but he opted for a long-angled blade." said Dr. Lee.

"And he's have to be pretty strong to make a clean cut like that." said Morgan as Spencer lifted up the sheet.

"Absolutely. And they're identical on each victim. The decapitation was one swift, clean cut between the second and third vertebra. No hesitation." said Dr. Lee.

"He's methodical. This is a mutilation. He followed a line like a surgeon would for breast augmentation." said Spencer as he pointed at the unsub's work.

"She has scar tissue that looks about 5 years old." said Dr. Lee.

Spencer realized why they couldn't identify the victim.

"He removed her implants because he knew we could trace her via the serial number." said Spencer.

"This guy's smarter than we thought." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan entered the room where JJ, Lieutenant Banks, and Hotch were.

"Well, pretty boy here figured out how to ID. the latest vic." said Morgan.

"We had Garcia match body type and weight with local missing women who also had surgeries." said Spencer.

"Her name's Kim Eakle. She recently moved to California. She's single. Parents just reported her missing." said Morgan.

"And where's she from?" asked JJ.

"Riverside. But we have no way of knowing where or when she was taken." said Morgan.

"This is all over the news. Everyone's hyper-vigilant. You think he's got some kind of ruse to get her?" asked Lieutenant Banks.

"More like he knocks her out. Nothing about this guy says charming." said JJ.

Hotch approached them while turning his phone on speaker.

"Garcia, where are we on the preservatives?" asked Hotch.

"Who knew that Southern California was a hub for silica gel? I've got a dozen places shipping regularly to a few residences." said Garcia.

"He needs isolation. Do any of the residences have basements or detached garages?" asked Hotch.

"No basements, but two have garages." said Garcia.

"Any of them single men?" asked JJ.

"I wish that they were, then they'd be doing their silica weirdness family free. Both of them are married with children, actually." said Garcia.

"All right, send the addresses." said Hotch.

"Yep, done." said Garcia before hanging up.

* * *

A few hours later and his teammates were with Lieutenant Banks.

"The whole thing sounds bizarre. Do you believe him?" asked Lieutenant Banks.

"Yes. Fetishes aren't always violent. He had a need for the limbs, but not a desire to kill." said Kate.

"Then who are we looking for?" asked Lieutenant Banks.

"Single white male, 30 to 40, living in isolation." said Hotch.

"He seeks out solitude because he was probably raised in an abusive home and he's still looking for refuge." said Morgan.

"Chances are he lost his job recently, which is why he sold the body parts." said JJ.

"His lack of social skills point to menial work, but his sophistication tells us he's more intelligent than we thought." said Rossi.

"Just like Jeffrey Dahmer, he's also deranged, but he's learned from others' mistakes. He knows not to keep strong smells around too long, which is why he disposes of the torsos within a few days." said Spencer.

"There's a very good chance that he snapped because of serious rejection." said Kate.

"If he finally got the guts to ask a woman out, he would have been clumsy and aggressive and she would have pushed him away." said JJ.

"It's why he got rid of all the things that symbolized intimacy. It's how his psychopathology developed." said Hotch.

"But if this is about a girl that rejected him, why kill a guy first?" asked Lieutenant Banks.

"He might be connected to the second victim." said Hotch.

"But without their identities, we can't say for sure." said JJ.

Lieutenant Banks sighed.

"What about the revisiting? Can we catch him like that?" asked Lieutenant Banks.

"He's obsessive about these locations, but he's probably seen the surveillance." said Hotch.

"Well, then, what will he do?" asked Lieutenant Banks.

"He'll find a new victim." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was writing on the clear board as he listened in on the phone call.

"You'd think after 10 years I'd seen it all." sighed Garcia.

"How many sites are there, mama?" asked Morgan.

"Hundreds. And that gem of a fellow you've got in custody has looked at all of them at one time or another. Anonymity is huge for these sites. They use a Tor network, which is an onion router. The point is, you're not gonna be able to find anyone this way. Do you know there are actual variations on a disarticulation fetish?" asked Garcia before she sighed before continuing "I need baby kitten pics asap."

At that moment Kate perked up since she has something in common with Garcia.

"Oh, have you seen the hippo who lives with the family?" asked Kate.

"What?" asked Garcia.

"Sleeps with a blanket. Gets massages, eats better than I do." said Kate.

"Where is that?" asked Garcia.

"South Africa. It's amazing." said Kate.

"Trust me, I have an arsenal of cuteness. Have you seen the one with the baby elephant-" asked Garcia before Kate interrupted.

"Oh, with the baby chicks? Yes, I love that one." said Kate.

Spencer became serious.

"Uh, hey, you guys?" asked Spencer.

"Sorry." apologized Kate.

"Sorry." apologized Garcia.

"The most recent victim was taken from Riverside. That's more than 2 1/2 hours away from here." said Spencer.

"So his comfort zone isn't limited to here." said Morgan.

"That's not good. Means he's got a lot more confidence than we thought." said Kate.

"He's leaving vics here, so he must have some connection to Bakersfield." said Morgan.

"The M.E. says he's gotten better at ligating each victim, which means he may have had practice." said Spencer.

"On what?" asked Morgan.

"We didn't originally profile him as an acrotomophile, but that sort of attraction typically has deep roots in childhood." said Spencer.

"Maybe the unsub grew up around dead bodies, like a funeral home, so it wasn't that big of a leap for him." said Kate.

"It could be. We know he wasn't social enough to continue the family tradition, so maybe he found work in a morgue or a hospital." said Morgan.

"When you say work..." said Garcia.

"Security guard, janitor, anything entry level." said Kate.

At that moment Garcia did some typing.

"Uh, the UC system has a medical facility in Bakersfield." said Garcia.

"Anyone fired recently?" asked Spencer.

"No, but there's an anatomy Professor on sabbatical." said Garcia.

"Oh, what's his name?" asked Kate.

"Dylan Myers." said Garcia before hanging up.

* * *

Morgan entered the conference room, and he saw Spencer rubbing the right side of his neck as he read a file.

"Kid, you OK?" asked Morgan.

Spencer stopped rubbing his neck.

"Yeah. You?" asked Spencer as he thought about Morgan's arm.

"Just tired." said Morgan.

"Dr. Lee sent this over. The most recent victim had more than just leather particulates in her stomach. She chewed through it, leaving entire chunks behind. And she also found traces of horse hair. He's using a bridle." said Spencer.

"This guy could have used anything. Why that?" asked Morgan.

"It's either specific to his fantasy or something he had easy access to." said Spencer as Morgan looked at the geographical profile.

"How many horse ranches are around here?" asked Morgan.

"I'm not sure about this area, but I can give you an exact number of the amount in Las Vegas since my uncle owns a horse ranch." smiled Spencer before he rubbed his neck again.

"What did your doctor say about when you should expect the pain to go away?" asked Morgan.

"He said that there will be some pain from time to time, and having to give Piper a piggy back ride down the stairs probably didn't help since she had her arms wrapped around my neck, but I don't have the heart to say no to her since she has been throwing tantrums when I'm leaving for work." said Spencer.

* * *

A short while later Spencer and Morgan were talking to Hotch and Garcia on the phone.

"So the real unsub killed Myers and then framed him." said Morgan.

"But it's not just a countermeasure. He took out a lot of rage on this man for a reason." said Hotch.

"Maybe this Dylan Myers stood in the way of the unsub's true object of affection." said Spencer.

"Well, it makes sense since we thought the first and second victims were connected." said Morgan.

"Only Dylan Myers was single." said Spencer.

"Garcia, was Dylan Myers dating anyone?" asked Hotch.

"He was a bit of a hermit, and like I said, zero social media skills, did go old school with a land line. Tracking his frequently called numbers. He called a young woman named Christine Locke several times. She's a former student, lives in Bakersfield. And she's missing. Sending you her picture now." said Garcia.

"She looks like the second victim." said Kate.

"Did she have a restraining order out on anyone?" asked Hotch.

"Checking now. Uh, yes. She filed for and was granted a restraining order on August 6 from a Steven Parkett." said Garcia.

"And where is he?" asked Hotch.

"Probably on his way to hell in a handbasket, sir. He was raised and lives at a cattle ranch and slaughterhouse in Bishopville just outside of Bakersfield. Sending you the coordinates now." said Garcia before hanging up.

* * *

Spencer set down his pen to rub the scar on his neck, and Hotch who was looking up from his own paperwork looked at him.

"Dealing with a bit of pain right now?" asked Hotch quietly.

"Yeah, and I took some ibuprofen so I'm waiting for it to kick in." said Spencer quietly before turning back to his report.

"Anxious to get home?" asked Hotch.

"I have a two year and two 16 month olds who are looking forward for a trip to the zoo that I promised to take them on after I catch up on a bit of sleep." smiled Spencer.

"Sounds like good plans for today." said Hotch.

Spencer decided to get back to writing his report, and 20 minutes later he was passing his report to Hotch.

"Sometimes I envy you for getting paperwork done faster than me." said Hotch as he read over the report.

"I know." grinned Spencer as he closed his eyes.

* * *

As soon as they were given the all clear to exit the jet, Spencer looked at his teammates.

"See you guys tomorrow." said Spencer.

"Already done with paperwork kid?" asked Morgan.

"Finished it during the flight, and I'm going to surprise my dad, Olivia, and the kids with breakfast before I head up to bed, and taking the kids to the zoo this afternoon." said Spencer before he headed in the direction that would lead him towards his car.

Morgan looked at Kate.

"Reid has a timed reading speed of 20,000 words per a minute and an eidetic memory, and that gives him the advantage to finish work much quicker than me." said Morgan.

"Ashley already warned me." said Kate.

* * *

Spencer was just setting breakfast on the kitchen island when William and Olivia entered the kitchen with the kids.

"Daddy!" shouted Piper as she ran over to her daddy.

"I missed you." said Spencer as he swooped up Piper and kissed her on the cheek before settling her into her booster seat.

"You didn't even call." said Olivia as she pecked Spencer on the cheek before Spencer gave Ava a kiss on the cheek and Ava was placed in her high chair.

"You were asleep when I got on the jet, and I decided to surprise you guys." said Spencer as he gave Albert a kiss before his dad put Albert into his high chair.

"Do you have to go in later this afternoon?" asked Olivia.

"I have the day off, and as soon as I'm done eating I'm going to take a shower before going to bed." said Spencer.

"We go to zoo?" asked Piper.

"After lunch goober." said Spencer as he sat down in his spot.

Olivia looked at Piper.

"That means that you need to be quiet while daddy sleep." said Olivia sternly.

"Yes, mommy." sighed Piper.

At that moment everyone started eating their breakfast.

* * *

Six hours later Spencer was walking around the zoo with Piper on his shoulders while Olivia pushed the double stroller that contained Albert and Ava.


	35. Burn and Spencer Turns 33

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to southernbeauty13 for being the 125th reviewer of this story, and also a shout out to OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 34._

* * *

Spencer opened the front door to sign for a package, and a few minutes later he grinned when he saw some books in Korean.

EVEN THOUGH IT ISN'T THE 9TH YET, I WANT TO WISH YOU A HAPPY 33RD BIRTHDAY SPENCER. THE CASE I HAD BEFORE SENDING YOU THIS PACKAGE HAPPENED IN NORTH KOREA, AND I THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD ENJOY SOME BOOKS IN KOREAN. PLEASE SKYPE WITH ME AFTER YOUR BIRTHDAY TO TELL ME HOW IT WENT, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE MY NIECES AND NEPHEW ON SKYPE.

EMILY

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Who sent you these books?" asked Olivia.

"Emily did." said Spencer.

* * *

The following morning, Spencer pulled one of his new books out of his messenger bag when JJ looked at him.

"Emily already sent you your birthday present?" asked JJ.

"Got it yesterday evening, and she got me books from Korea." said Spencer.

"Your birthday's coming up?" asked Kate.

"Turning 33 on Thursday, and if I'm not on a case I have a feeling that I will be woke up with kisses from three toddlers and a dog before Olivia brings me breakfast in bed just like she did on Father's Day." said Spencer.

Hotch stepped out of his office to look at Spencer.

"Reid, I would like to talk to you in my office." said Hotch.

Spencer noticed the questioning glances that JJ and Kate were giving him as he walked towards the stairs leading to Hotch's office and a minute later he was sitting in front of Hotch's desk.

"What do you need?" asked Spencer.

"Want to take the day off on Thursday if we're not on a case to spend your birthday with your dad, Olivia, and the kids?" asked Hotch.

Spencer quickly thought about it before grinning at his boss.

"Spending my entire birthday with five of my favorite people instead of spending my birthday at work wins." said Spencer.

Hotch gave his youngest agent a rare smile before continuing.

"Just don't tell Olivia until we know for sure that we're not on a case." said Hotch.

"Yes sir." said Spencer.

Two minutes later Spencer was at his desk working on consults.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer was sitting in the conference room with his teammates excluding Morgan and Garcia.

"So where's Garcia and Morgan? Are they finally having that love child?" asked Rossi as Morgan entered the room.

"Heard that." said Morgan as he placed a hand on Rossi's shoulder.

"Busted." said Rossi.

Morgan took the chair next to Spencer.

"Uh, Garcia's taking some personal time." said Hotch.

"Is everything OK?" asked JJ.

"I hope it wasn't those burritos we had yesterday." said Kate.

"She's fine. Kevin Lynch will be presenting the case." said Hotch just as Kevin entered the room.

"Hiya. Hi. Sorry." said Kevin.

Spencer waved at Kevin.

"Where we going?" asked Spencer.

"Seattle, Washington." said Kevin as he grabbed the remote to start briefing, "Over the past few weeks, two gentlemen between the ages of 35 and 40 have been killed, both with radically different M.O.s. First victim, Dan Chen, was strangled and dropped off on the side of a road. The second victim, Joe Hazley, was run over by a car." said Kevin.

"The intimacy of strangulation suggests a personal attack, literally and figuratively, the need to kill in a hands-on manner." said Spencer.

"While crushing someone with a car presents as distance and removal from the kill." said JJ.

"What makes you think they're connected?" asked Kate.

"The victims' cars were found about two miles from each other, and they have similar mutilation around their mouths." said Hotch.

"And he crosses racial lines." said Morgan.

"Well, if you consider that and a similar Geo-profile, maybe we have two different killers." said Rossi.

"We could be looking at a team." said JJ.

"A disorganized one." said Kate.

"Or the unsub's just experimenting, trying to figure out how he or she likes to kill." said Morgan.

"Similar to Herzog and Shermantine." said Spencer.

"So we need to get to Seattle quickly. If he's evolving, he could strike again soon." said Hotch.

A minute later Spencer pulled out his phone to call Olivia.

"A case?" asked Olivia.

"Going to Seattle, Washington, and I'm hoping that I will be back in time for my birthday." said Spencer.

"If you're not we can easily push back your birthday dinner if we need to." said Olivia.

"I know Livy, but we're heading to the jet now so I will call later to talk to the kids." said Spencer.

"I love you, and please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I will try and stay safe, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

As they were in the air heading towards Seattle, everyone spent some time looking over the files before Hotch looked at his agents.

"All right, victimology. Dan Chen had two children, Joe Hazley was single." said Hotch.

"The first guy was a doctor and the other was a contractor." said Kate.

"Socially they wouldn't overlap." said JJ.

"Well, they may have professionally. One could have been a patient, and the doctor could have hired the contractor." said Morgan.

"No, I already checked into that. They didn't know each other." said Kevin.

"So they were victims of opportunity." said Rossi.

"But why change from strangulation to running over victims in a car?" asked Spencer.

"Well, it seems impulsive, which implies he's young and inexperienced." said Morgan.

"But he had to have the strength to pull this off, so that probably means he was older." said Kate.

"Um, excuse me, agent Hotchner." said Kevin.

"What is it?" asked Hotch.

"A third victim, Michael Richmond, was just found about 4 miles from where they found the last victim." said Kevin.

"How was he killed?" asked JJ.

"He drowned. They found his discarded body on a rural avenue, and he had oral mutilation." said Kevin.

"That's near the last victim's abduction site." said Spencer.

"Just as we thought, the unsub's moving quickly. This could be a spree." said Rossi.

"All right, when we land, Dave, you and Kate go to the last abduction site. Morgan and Reid to the M.E., and JJ and I will talk to the families." said Hotch.

Morgan got up, and Spencer decided to follow Morgan who was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Hey, what's going on with Penelope?" asked Spencer quietly.

Morgan looked at Spencer and thought about how Spencer has been doing better at coping with the trauma in Texas than Penelope.

"Reid, I'll talk to you more about that when we're alone, all right?" asked Morgan.

"Is she OK? I mean, she isn't sick, is she?" asked Spencer.

"That really depends on your definition of sick." said Morgan.

"Is it about the nightmares that cause her to call me at 3 AM to see if I'm OK?" asked Spencer quietly.

"Later, kid." said Morgan.

Spencer and Morgan walked back to their seats.

"When are you going to stop calling me Kid? I'm turning 33 on Thursday, I have been married for over three years and 13 days, and I have three kids." said Spencer.

"You're always going to be a kid to me, no matter how old you get." said Morgan.

Spencer pouted at Morgan, causing some laughter.

* * *

Dr. Reynolds looked at Spencer and Morgan as he read his clipboard.

"All of the victims had different C.O.D.s. Strangulation, severe crush injuries, and finally, drowning." said Dr. Reynolds.

"The last victim's hands and legs were bound before the unsub forcibly submerged him." said Spencer.

"They all have contusions on their heads." said Dr. Reynolds.

"And it looks like he blitz attacks them or hits them when they try to fight back." said Morgan.

Spencer looked closer at the victim he and Morgan were by.

"There was no DNA or trace evidence found." said Dr. Reynolds.

"You get the tox screen back?" asked Morgan.

"Nothing out of the ordinary in their systems. However, I did find some slash marks on the roofs of their mouths." said Dr. Reynolds.

"Slash marks." said Spencer as he looked at Morgan before continuing, "We thought it was random mutliation."

Spencer grabbed the little mirrors that his dentist uses before opening the mouth of one of the victims to take a look where he saw something interesting.

"Whoa." said Spencer.

"What is it?" asked Morgan.

"It's not slashes. It look- it looks like Roman numerals." said Spencer.

"What?" asked Morgan as he came closer.

"Look." said Spencer as he stepped aside a bit so Morgan could look.

"It's the number 3." said Morgan.

"Joe Hazley's body's downstairs." said Detective Reynolds as he realized he was impressed with the young doctor.

"We'll need to see it." said Spencer as he walked away to set aside the mirror he used on the victim and grab a new one.

"Reid, what about this guy?" asked Morgan as Spencer headed to the other body.

Less than 10 seconds later Spencer confirmed the Roman numeral.

"It looks like Roman numeral 5." said Spencer.

"So then we may not be looking at victims 1, 2, and 3. We're probably looking at 3, 4, and 5." said Morgan.

Spencer stood up to his full height and looked at Morgan.

"Which means there are two more bodies out there." said Spencer.

"I'll have Kevin look into past homicides in the area, see if any match the M.O." said Morgan as he pulled his phone and called Kevin.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan were heading to meet up with Hotch and JJ when Morgan's cellphone rang.

"Why don't you answer that?" asked Spencer.

"It's Garcia. I don't know what to tell her, Reid. She's gone to see Greg Baylor before he gets executed. Go figure." said Morgan.

"It's PTSD." said Spencer.

"Her nightmares are PTSD, Reid. She's taken this to a whole nother level." said Morgan.

"You know Garcia. She carries a laptop, not a gun. She can't even look at crime scene photos without needing pictures of panda bears to counterbalance them." said Spencer.

"I tried to walk her back from the ledge, but I think she's already jumped." said Morgan.

"I was like that after I shot the LDSK." said Spencer.

"Phillip Dowd." said Morgan.

"Yeah. At first I felt nothing. And then- Gideon was right. It just hit me. I started to obsess. Looked up photos of him when he was in the Rangers. I studied cases he worked when he was a cop. I-even patients he treated while he was a nurse." said Spencer.

"Why?" asked Morgan.

"I just wanted to get inside of him. And I wanted to try to understand why our paths crossed and see if there was some way that he could have been stopped before I came along." said Spencer.

"What made you finally move on?" asked Morgan.

"All the people he killed. I put their photos on my wall. They had lives, too." said Spencer.

Spencer and Morgan joined the others as they heard Rossi talk.

"If this guy followed our victims and used a ruse, then he's not just acting on impulse." said Rossi.

"No, it's organized victimology. The father figures are likely surrogates for his own." said Hotch.

"There were Roman numerals carved into the roofs of their mouths, which is highly symbolic." said Morgan.

"Or ritualistic." said JJ as she looked at a picture.

"With numbers 3, 4, and 5 already found, it suggests we're missing two earlier victims." said Spencer.

"Kevin's looking into it." said Morgan.

"Considering the ruse, the unsub is extremely controlled, but his M.O. doesn't make any sense." said Kate.

"Then we need to figure out its meaning, because he's not gonna stop until we do." said Rossi.

* * *

At 8:30 DC time, Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Mind if I take some time to Skype with Olivia and the kids since it's nearing bedtime for the kids back in DC?" asked Spencer.

"Go ahead, and one of us will let you know when our food arrives." said Hotch.

Spencer grabbed his tablet from his messenger bag, and a few minutes later he was in an empty room grinning when he saw Olivia with the kids.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi there Piper." said Spencer.

"Hi Dada." said Ava.

"Hey there, my little birdie." said Spencer.

"Daddy." said Albert.

"Hi there, Albert." said Spencer.

"Mommy say you ent bye bye." said Piper.

"I'm in Seattle right now." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"We already have tonight's bedtime story picked out." said Olivia as she held up the book.

"You guys ready?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

Spencer started reciting the book while Olivia showed the pictures, and a few minutes later Spencer was saying goodnight to the kids while promising Olivia that he would call her before he goes to bed, then he headed back to his teammates while dinner was being distributed.

* * *

Three hours later a pajama clad Spencer was in his hotel room talking to Olivia on the phone.

"So how was your day?" asked Spencer.

Olivia started telling Spencer about her day, and when she was done Spencer spoke up.

"Kevin's assisting us instead of Garcia." said Spencer.

"Why?" asked Olivia.

"Garcia found out that Greg Baylor is getting executed, and she went down to Texas to see him." said Spencer.

"The Greg Baylor who went under cover as a nurse, and tried to inject Carbenicillin into your IV port?" asked Olivia.

"The very one, and Morgan's refusing to answer her phone calls since he thinks Baylor deserves it because he tried to kill Penelope and I." said Spencer.

"What do you think?" asked Olivia.

"You know how I don't like doing kill shots or even nonfatal shots when I have to shoot an unsub, but I know that I have to take the shot to save my life and the lives of others. I know that if I was able to, I would have done the shot myself so Garcia wouldn't have to do it." said Spencer.

"I would have done the shot if Penelope wasn't in the room." said Olivia.

"I know Livy, but I was glad that you weren't in my hospital room when that standoff happened." said Spencer.

Olivia yawned and Spencer looked at the alarm clock.

"I'm going to let you go so you can get some sleep, and I'm going to be getting some sleep myself." said Spencer.

"I love you, and please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I will try, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up just as Hotch exited the bathroom.

"We should get some sleep." said Hotch as he got into his bed.

"I'm already planning on it." said Spencer as he plugged his cellphone into its charger.

As soon as Spencer had his glasses on the night stand between Spencer's and Hotch's hotel beds, Hotch turned off the lamp.

* * *

The following morning Spencer got out of the back seat of the SUV and followed Morgan, Kate, and Detective Sachs to the latest crime scene.

"This unsub's truly evolving, switching to fire." said Morgan before checking a text message from Kevin.

"This guy's the king of the changing M.O." said Kate.

"He might just be getting more forensically sophisticated. Fire destroys most trace evidence." said Spencer.

"Kevin just found two homicides in the city from the last 8 weeks which might fit our unsub's M.O." said Morgan.

"Were they in the comfort zone?" asked Kate.

"40 miles out. But they did have Roman numerals 1 and 2 in their mouths. The first one was asphyxiated by gas and the other electrocuted." said Morgan as Spencer and Detective Sachs were leaning forwards.

"That probably makes him number 6, but why burn him in a box?" asked Kate.

"You know, it's shaped more like a casket." said Spencer as his mind started racing.

"What's the symbolism?" asked Detective Sachs.

"Maybe this is how he wanted to see the man who's at the center of his rage." said Morgan.

"Because he's probably in the sixth circle." said Spencer.

"Circle of what?" asked Kate.

"Dan Chen was found in the mud. The other guy was crushed to death. I don't think these are random M.O.s. The unsub is recreating the circles of hell." said Spencer.

* * *

After explaining to his teammates about what the unsub was recreating, they were giving the profile.

"We believe the unsub we're looking for is a male between the ages of 35 and 40 who is killing parental figures based on his need for revenge and punishment. He's designed his M.O. to recreate Dante's 9 circles of hell." started Hotch.

""The Inferno" is the first part of Dante's "divine comedy," within it, he describes the sinners he'd encounter in each circle of hell and the punishments they'd endured." said Rossi.

"The first circle was for those who didn't accept God, therefore lived in limbo, punished by a blinding fog. The first victim was found gassed in his apartment." said Kate.

"The second circle was for those guilty of lust, who'd be blown around in a violent storm. Therefore, our second victim was tied to a fence and electrocuted." said JJ.

"The third circle was gluttony, where sinners would be rained on and wallow in mud. Our next victim was found strangled on the side of the road covered with dirt." said Morgan.

"Our fourth victim was crushed like the punishment in the next circle reserved for greed. The fifth circle is wrath, where sinners were drowned in swampy water, which is exactly what happened to the next victim." said Spencer.

"In the sixth, heretics were trapped in a burning tomb, like our most recent victim, and the next 3 circles are just as vicious." said JJ.

"Our unsub killed all the way through the sixth circle and marked his victims accordingly." said Rossi.

"But his victims hadn't committed the sins associated with each ring, which suggests that the killings are symbolic of the father figure who hurt him in the past." said Morgan.

"In the poem, Dante traveled with the poet Virgil who assured him he would enter paradise if he completed his journey. Consequently, we believe our unsub is metaphorically taking this journey with someone else. His Virgil is most likely a sibling that suffered the same fate at the hand of an abusive father." said Spencer.

"This man's patient. We also think he's an academic. He stalks his victims, and after watching them discipline a child, he waits until what he considers the appropriate moment to kill them. We believe he will continue with the final 3 circles until he feels completely avenged." finished Hotch.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with JJ, Kate, and Rossi when Hotch and Morgan entered the room.

"Where are we?" asked Hotch.

"The victims' automobiles were found right here." said Spencer as he wheeled his chair to the geographical profile and pointed.

"And that is where all the victims were last seen prior to the abductions." said JJ.

"So he's able to move around freely." said Kate.

"All right, we need to get back to the poem. An unsub this committed to a body of work isn't killing out of the blue." said Hotch.

"Maybe he'd obsess over the poem, maybe even write about it before acting it out." said Rossi.

"Create a manifesto?" asked Morgan as Hotch called Kevin.

"Yeah. At least be literary enough to post his thoughts." said Kate as Kevin answered the call.

"Kevin, what did you come up with on people posting online rants about Dante's "Inferno"?" asked Hotch.

"There are over 80 people in the past week." said Kevin.

"Subtract high school kids. We're not looking for screeds about homework." said Rossi.

"You got 5 in the state, my friend." said Kevin.

"Any in the comfort zone?" asked JJ.

"One." said Kevin.

"What's his name?" asked Hotch.

"Nathan Chow. He's a student at Puget College. He posted a blog about killing people at his school using Dante's 9 circles of hell." said Kevin.

"When did he do it?" asked Rossi.

"A week before the first murder." said Kevin.

"He's a little younger than our profile." said Morgan.

"What if he's our Virgil? We catch him, we catch our unsub." said Kate.

"Send us the address." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer, Hotch, Rossi, and Kate stood outside the interrogation room watching Morgan and JJ question Nathan, and when they got enough Kate looked at her teammates.

"OK, why is he taking credit for killings he clearly didn't do?" asked Kate.

"Ego, maybe." said Rossi.

"In the poem, Dante and Virgil had roles from which they didn't stray. This unsub and his Virgil would do the same thing." said Hotch.

"So who's this kid?" asked Rossi.

"I don't know. He's got some relationship with the unsub." said Hotch as he pulled out his phone to call Kevin.

"Guys, with circles 7, 8, and 9 left, we're running out of time." said Spencer.

"We need to dig more deeply into Nathan's life." said Hotch as he picked up the book and looked at it.

A few minutes later Kevin was talking to them on the phone.

"No one in Nathan's life fits the profile." said Kevin.

"Did you check people in his high school classes?" asked Kate.

"Yeah. Still coming up empty." said Kevin.

"All right, I've got Nathan's copy of "The Inferno" with detailed notes, but the edition is from 1986. And if Nathan was in high school two years ago, he would have had a more recent edition. Is there a J. Leu anywhere in Nathan's life?" asked Hotch.

"Uh, yeah. There's a Justin Leu. He was Nathan's high school AP English teacher." said Kevin.

"If you give a kid an early edition of a book, it's because you had a bond." said Rossi.

"Oh, in Nathan's digital yearbook, he says that Mr. Leu was the only reason he got through high school. He took his class twice." said Kevin.

"Is Mr. Leu still in the school system?" asked Kate.

"Yeah, he's been there for years. From the looks of it, he's a very tough teacher." said Kevin.

"What do we know about Leu's family?" asked Hotch.

"The mom passed away of cancer when Justin was 10. Father started spiraling. Quit going to church, started drinking. He was very abusive. Social services said he often locked the kids in a shed." said Kevin.

"Was the father violent with both boys?" asked Rossi.

"Yes, but according to Child Protective Services, Mr. Leu's older brother Todd got the worst of it." said Kevin.

"And where's the brother now?" asked Hotch.

"He committed suicide." said Kevin.

"So that's who his Virgil is, his brother. He's metaphorically going on this journey with him." said Spencer.

"Maybe the father committed the sins found within the 9 circles." said Hotch.

"Is the father still alive?" asked Rossi.

"No, he passed away a couple months ago. Justin inherited his house." said Kevin.

"That's what triggered the killing." said Spencer.

"All right, Kevin, send us the school address, the home address, and his father's address." said Hotch.

"Sent." said Kevin.

* * *

Two hours later Hotch looked at his agents.

"Let's head to the hotel and get our go bags." said Hotch.

Spencer smiled as he fired a quick text to Olivia.

I'M COMING HOME TONIGHT, SO PLEASE DON'T STAY UP FOR ME. ~ SR

A minute later Spencer's phone rang. He grinned when he saw that it was Olivia, causing him to walk away from his teammates.

"Hey Livy." said Spencer.

"So what do you want for breakfast tomorrow when I bring you breakfast in bed?" asked Olivia

"Your famous blueberry pancakes, and Hotch gave me tomorrow off so I can spend my birthday with you, dad, and the kids." said Spencer.

"Well I'm about to put the kids to bed, so do you want to say goodnight to them before you catch that flight?" asked Olivia.

"Yes, please." said Spencer.

A few seconds later he heard Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's voices.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi Dada." said Ava.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Daddy's coming home tonight, so you three monkeys will be seeing me when mommy has you wake me up with kisses in the morning while getting to spend all day with me tomorrow." said Spencer.

"Yay!" chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

"So you three should listen to mommy and grandpa and go to bed, and I will be in bed when you wake up." said Spencer.

After he exchanged good nights with the kids, Spencer hung up and he approached his teammates.

"Excited about your birthday tomorrow?" asked Rossi.

"I am since I was given tomorrow off, and I will be waking up tomorrow morning with sloppy kisses from three excited toddlers." said Spencer.

* * *

Seven and a half hours later Spencer was getting into his side of the bed, and Olivia woke up when she felt Spencer's arm around her. She looked at the alarm clock and smiled when she saw that it was already October 9th, causing her to roll over to face her husband.

"Happy birthday, Spencer." said Olivia.

"Thanks." said Spencer as he pecked Olivia on the lips.

"Did you sleep during the flight home?" asked Olivia.

"I did." said Spencer.

Olivia smirked at her husband.

"Well, since I'm wide awake now I want to kick off your birthday by doing this." said Olivia as she kissed him deeply on the lips, causing a heated make out session that would lead to something else.

* * *

Seven hours later Spencer woke up to the smell of breakfast and kisses from Piper, Albert, and Ava. As soon as he had his glasses on and was sitting up, Piper looked at her daddy.

"Happy birtday, daddy." said Piper as she gave her daddy another kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." said Spencer as he returned his oldest daughter's kiss before eying the tray that contained blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a glass of orange juice, "Is this all for me?"

"The kids, your dad, and I have already eaten, so I'm going to feed you breakfast while you cuddle with the kids." said Olivia as she helped position the kids so there was a toddler on Spencer's lap and on both sides of Spencer before she started feeding him his breakfast.

* * *

45 minutes later Spencer was hugging his father while Olivia was getting all three toddlers into their jackets.

"Happy birthday, Spencer." said William.

"Thanks." said Spencer before looking at Olivia, "Where are you and the kids going?"

"You and dad are coming along, too." said Olivia.

"So where are we going?" asked Spencer as he watched his father head to the kitchen and come out 30 seconds later with a picnic basket.

"It's a surprise and I'm driving since you're going to be wearing a blind fold." said Olivia.

Spencer lightly shook his head.

* * *

As soon as Olivia parked the SUV, she looked at her husband who was sitting in the front passenger seat with a blindfold on.

"You can remove your blindfold." said Olivia.

Spencer untied his blindfold and a few seconds later he was grinning at the sight of Rock Creek Park.

"With it still being nice out, I thought that a family hike and picnic would be fun." said Olivia.

"Best way to spend my birthday." said Spencer as he leaned over to kiss his wife.

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, and the kids were walking on the trails with Piper on Spencer's back and Olivia and William each holding a twin.

* * *

Meanwhile at the BAU, JJ looked at Kate.

"Are you planning on coming over to Rossi's for Spence's birthday dinner tonight?" asked JJ.

"My husband has to work, but I will be there since Ashley told me how Rossi's cooking is." said Kate.

* * *

Later that evening Spencer, Olivia, and the kids were all dressed up to head over to Rossi's and as soon as the Reid family arrived at Rossi's, Garcia engulfed Spencer into a hug as soon as Piper was set down.

"Happy birthday, boy wonder." said Garcia.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

Rossi came into the living room area.

"We're eating in my backyard since I want to put it to use one more time before it gets too cold out." said Rossi.

A few minutes later Spencer introduced Kate to his family before everyone including Will, Jack, and Henry were sitting down eating dinner.

"So what did you guys do today?" asked JJ.

"We spent the day at Rock Creek Park walking on the trails." said Spencer.

An hour later Spencer was sitting in front of a birthday cake blowing out two candles that spelled 33.


	36. A Thousand Suns Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 35._

* * *

As Spencer wiped Piper's face and hands from lunch, Piper looked up at her daddy.

"Can we pwease go to the park?" asked Piper.

"We need to change out of our nice clothes first, Goober, so you don't ruin your church dress." said Spencer before looking at Olivia and his dad who were cleaning up Albert and Ava's faces from their lunch, "I think I'm going to do an outing with just Piper."

"OK." said Olivia.

* * *

A half hour later Spencer and Piper were looking at the play equipment at the park, and Spencer knelt down to Piper's eye level.

"What do you want to do?" asked Spencer.

"Swings." said Piper.

"OK." said Spencer.

Two minutes later Spencer was pushing Piper on the swing, and when Piper had enough she alerted her daddy.

"Stop daddy." said Piper.

Spencer stopped the swing and removed Piper from the swing, and a few minutes later they were sitting on a bench and Piper saw something that was confusing to her.

"What is she doing?" asked Piper as she pointed out a teenage girl to her daddy.

"She's doing cartwheels." said Spencer.

"I want to do one." said Piper before she noticed the girl doing something else, "What was tat?"

"She was doing some flips." said Spencer.

"I want to do tat too." said Piper.

"What that girl is doing is called gymnastics." said Spencer as he started to explain what was done, and when he was finished Piper looked up at her daddy.

"Can I do tat?" asked Piper.

"Let me talk to mommy later, and if she thinks that gymnastics would be fun for you I will sign you up." said Spencer.

Spencer noticed the teenage girl making her way towards them, and a minute later she approached Spencer and Piper.

"I noticed you two watching me with interest." said the girl.

Spencer stood up and helped Piper get down.

"My daughter was watching you with interest, and I explained to her about gymnastics since my wife and I have been talking about activities that my daughter can do to release her pent up energy." said Spencer.

The teenager knelt down down to Piper's eye level.

"What's your name, sweetie." asked the girl.

Piper stayed quiet, and Spencer decided to introduce himself and Piper.

"My name is Spencer, and this is my two year old daughter Piper." said Spencer.

The girl looked at Piper.

"My name is Allison, and would you like to learn how to do some somersaults?" asked Allison.

Piper looked up at her daddy who nodded yes to her.

"Yes pwease." said Piper.

"You're very well mannered." said Allison before looking at Spencer, "Mind if I show your daughter how to do some somersaults?"

"Go ahead, and I have a suspicion that with how you you're acting towards my daughter you probably have a relative around her age." said Spencer.

"I have a niece around Piper's age, and Andrea has been enjoying the meets I compete in at school." said Allison.

"I know a two year old girl named Andrea, and her parents are Maeve and Robert." said Spencer

"Putnam." finished Allison.

"You're the sister that Bobby has been talking about." said Spencer before he gave Allison his full name.

Andrea smiled when she recognized Spencer's name.

"I actually met your wife Olivia since I once joined she and Maeve on a trip to the mall." smiled Allison.

Piper spoke up.

"Can you pwease show me?" asked Piper.

"Yes, sweetie." said Allison.

A minute later Allison was showing Piper how to do a somersault as Spencer sent Bobby a text.

YOUR LITTLE SISTER IS TEACHING PIPER HOW TO DO SOMERSAULTS, AND I BELIEVE THAT PIPER MIGHT END UP BEING SIGNED UP FOR GYMNASTICS SINCE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SIGNING UP ANDREA. ~ SR

* * *

Later that night when Spencer and Olivia were getting ready for bed, Spencer looked at his wife.

"Piper wants me to sign her up for gymnastics." said Spencer as he explained his afternoon with Piper.

"Allison once joined Maeve and me on a trip to the mall, and she's such a sweetie." smiled Olivia.

"So do you think gymnastics would be a good extracurricular activity for Piper?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Olivia.

"Then Piper can start going to gymnastics in January since Bobby's planning on signing Andrea up for those classes." said Spencer.

* * *

The next day at work Spencer was standing at the coffee pot with his teammates talking about their weekend, and when it was Spencer's turn he looked at his teammates.

"Piper's starting gymnastics in January since Piper enjoyed being taught how to do somersaults by a family friend's sister yesterday afternoon." said Spencer.

"Gymnastics is going to be so much fun for Piper, and I can't wait to find cute leotards for Piper to wear." said an excited Garcia.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"While you were out with Piper yesterday afternoon, I decided to stop by to spend time with the kids and while interacting with the twins I noticed that Ava has been showing signs of being on the autism spectrum." said Rossi.

"My dad, Olivia, and I were already talking about Ava showing signs of having Asperger's syndrome due to her behavior, sensory issues, and stomach problems that she has been dealing with." said Spencer.

"When are you going to get her tested?" said Rossi.

"Olivia and I are going to take her to a specialist when she's 18 months old so she can get the help she needs since I know that I should have been diagnosed years ago when I was a child instead of waiting like I did." said Spencer.

Kate looked at Spencer.

"You have autism?" asked Kate.

"I have high functioning Asperger's syndrome, and next month will mark three years since I was diagnosed. When I was diagnosed, Livy and I knew that I could pass down Asperger's syndrome, but we were willing to take that risk since there are therapies that can help children thrive." said Spencer.

"Just like Sammy Sparks." said Rossi.

"Who's Sammy Sparks?" asked Kate.

Spencer briefly explained the case while mentioning his interactions with Sammy, and when he was finished Rossi looked at Spencer.

"You were amazing with Sammy." said Rossi.

"I know, but let's just say that Sammy was a huge reason why I realized that I needed to think about settling down and starting a family." said Spencer.

"Which you did a few months later when you took that sabbatical." said Rossi.

Hotch looked at his agents.

"We should get started on our consults." said Hotch.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer got onto the jet with his teammates, and when Hotch saw everyone he looked at Garcia who was already video chatting with them.

"All right. Let's go, Garcia." said Hotch.

"Trans Alliance flight 420 just crashed in a Colorado field northwest of Durango." said Garcia.

"Any survivors?" asked Kate as everyone buckled up.

"152 passengers, all presumed dead." said Hotch.

Spencer sighed sadly as he thought about the children that could be on that flight.

"Where was it coming from?" asked Morgan.

"Pittsburgh. It was going to Phoenix." said Garcia.

"So it happened in mid-flight? The plane just fell out of the sky?" asked JJ.

Spencer turned himself from his spot to look over where some of his teammates were sitting.

"That's highly unusual. 80% of plane crashes happen within 3 minutes of takeoff or 8 minutes of landing." said Spencer.

"Well, an early call came into local law enforcement from a witness who said he saw "a streak of light" in the sky just before the crash." said Garcia.

"Surface-to-air missile." said Morgan.

"We've been asked to determine if there was a crime. And if so, give the profile of the offender." said Rossi.

"We'll be working with a joint task force. Everyone's on their way to the crash site now." said Hotch.

"I know flying's safer, but I still wish you were driving. Safe travels. Call me when you get there." said Garcia.

Spencer's phone vibrated.

ARE YOU HEADING TO COLORADO DUE TO THAT PLANE CRASH? ~ OR

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

THAT'S WHERE I'M HEADING RIGHT NOW, AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I'M GOING TO HELP DETERMINE IF IT'S A CRIME. ~ SR

Spencer looked at his teammates.

"Sometimes I think Olivia's IQ might be higher than 155 since she figured out where we're heading." said Spencer.

At that moment there were a few smiles and chuckles going around the plane before the seriousness that erupted due to over 157 men, women, and children dying earlier.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Are you OK?" asked Morgan.

"I'm just thinking about the children who died on that flight." said Spencer.

"Me too, Spence." said JJ.

* * *

Spencer and Kate pulled up at the crash sight and a minute later they introduced themselves to the NTSP agent before walking around the scene. Kate picked up a toy truck that Spencer looked at sadly as he thought about Albert.

"The plane broke up into 5 main sections. The two wings, the aft hull and tail, the forward hull and cockpit, which we have here." said the NTSP agent that was working with them.

"How large is the spread?" asked Spencer.

"About a half mile." said the NTSP agent.

"That means the plane broke up before impact. Have you found the digital flight data recorder yet?" asked Spencer.

"We're still searching. It might have been driven deep into the ground after impact. The good news is the DFDR and the cockpit voice recorder are in a single unit, so we're only looking for one black box." said the NTSP agent.

"Where was the copilot found?" asked Spencer.

"About 20 yards that way. Excuse me." said the NTSP agent before walking away.

Spencer looked at Kate.

"You've been quiet." said Spencer softly.

Kate looked up at Spencer.

"Sorry." said Kate.

"You know, a disaster of this magnitude is really hard to wrap your mind around, let alone your feelings." said Spencer.

"You don't need to worry about me." said Kate, and when Spencer didn't talk for a few seconds she looked at Spencer again noticing his thinking face, "What, are you gonna profile me now?"

"It's hard to turn it off sometimes." said Spencer with a small smile on his face.

Kate realized that it wouldn't hurt to open up to Spencer since she has been told that he's a great listener.

"I guess I should just tell you this. Hotch and Rossi already know. My sister and brother-in-law died in 9/11. They were working at the Pentagon." said Kate.

"So sorry. I can imagine this must obviously bring back a lot of painful memories." said Spencer softly.

"Yeah. Anyway, I don't want to be that weepy Agent with the tragic past, so you don't have to walk on eggshells around me." said Kate before walking away.

Spencer caught up with Kate.

"A childhood friend was murdered by a child molester when I was four leading me to eventually join the FBI, and my mom has schizophrenia, since we're sharing." said Spencer.

"Thanks for letting me know." said Kate before she decided to lighten things up since found it easy to talk to Spencer, "After my sister died, I adopted all 10 of her kids."

"Wow, and I only have three." said Spencer.

"I'm kidding." said Kate.

Spencer and Kate laughed.

"They had a baby girl, Meg. We took her in. Actually, Chris and I moved into their house. Anyway, she's 13 and the light of my life." said Kate as she realized that she was glad to be working with another parent who knows what it's like to leave your family for a few days.

"Oh, she sounds terrific." said Spencer.

"Yeah, she is. Maybe I could bring her by so you, Olivia, and your kids can meet her sometime since I showed her a picture of you, Olivia, and the kids that was taken at your birthday dinner last week and she talked about wanting to get into babysitting." said Kate.

"We would really like that." said Spencer as they continued walking towards the copilot seat.

"This must have been the copilot seat." said Kate.

Spencer pointed with his left arm.

"That means the plane came from that way. You know, it's possible the metal attaching the chair got caught in the power lines. It could have slowed his descent." said Spencer.

"A series of minor bumps instead of one big crash- it's the only way he would have survived." said Kate as she noticed Spencer looking at something, "What is it?"

Spencer leaned forward to get a closer look as he thought about how Ava constantly deals with motion sickness when either flying or during long road trips.

"Vomit. Passengers threw up before the crash." said Spencer as a news van pulled up.

At that moment an NTSP agent came over.

"Sorry about that." said the agent as he saw news vans pull up, "Oh, great. The hardest thing about this investigation will be staying ahead of the media and all the stupid conspiracy theories."

"Let the games begin." said Kate.

* * *

As Spencer and Kate were heading to where the entire task force was working, Kate looked at Spencer.

"So is your mom institutionalized?" asked Kate.

"She has been residing in a private sanitarium in Las Vegas since I was 18, and when Olivia and I found out we were expecting twins my mom decided to stay in Vegas while my dad decided to retire from being a lawyer and move out to DC to help Olivia and me with the kids." said Spencer before rubbing his neck.

"You alright?" asked Kate.

"You heard about the case in Texas that caused Blake to leave in June?" asked Spencer quietly.

"Yes, and I recall hearing through the grapevine that you got shot in the neck and were on medical leave for over three months." said Kate.

"I'm still dealing with pain even though it's been five months, but even though I was on medical leave for over three months I did enjoy the second half of my leave since it was spent on my uncle's ranch outside of Las Vegas and visiting my mom since she's been doing well since last Christmas." said Spencer.

"What does your uncle have on his ranch?" asked Kate.

"He raises five horses, and I have a horse that's now 12 years old. Let's just say that Nikola was happy that I rode him nearly every day during the time that Olivia, the kids, and I spent out there." said Spencer.

"Do you have a picture of your horse?" asked Kate.

"I do." said Spencer and pulled out his phone to show a picture of him and Piper on Nikola, "Livy and I put Piper on a horse for the first time when she was 18 months old, and she loves getting to ride horses on her great uncle's ranch." said Spencer.

"Aww." cooed Kate as she looked at the picture of the father and daughter.

"My uncle has been a widow since I was 11 years old, and my aunt Rachel died of an ectopic pregnancy so he considers me one of his sons since he has a 31 year old son named Andrew. And my aunt Ethel was married to my dad's younger brother uncle Daniel who died in a car crash when I was four." said Spencer.

"Seemed like your childhood had a lot of tragedy." said Kate.

"The killer who killed Riley Jenkins was targeting me next, but if it wasn't for my mom's instincts about Gary Michaels being a serial child molester I probably wouldn't be here today." said Spencer.

"I actually read the case file when trying to get an idea of what types of cases you guys worked on in the past." said Kate.

"The killing of Gary Michaels eventually led to my dad walking out when I was 10, and I didn't see or hear from him until I tracked him down when I was trying to find Riley's killer. After hearing the full story, I really didn't start talking to my dad until Olivia and I got onto the topic of having kids since my parents are the surviving grandparents since Livy's parents Piper and Albert Hartford died when Olivia was 20." said Spencer.

"So Piper and Albert are named after their late grandparents?" asked Kate.

"Yes, and Ava's named after Olivia's childhood friend who died of Kawasaki Disease when she was 10 since Piper's a Kawasaki Disease survivor herself since she ended up in the hospital at seven months old." said Spencer.

"Kawasaki Disease?" asked Kate.

Spencer started explaining what Kawasaki Disease was, and when he finished Kate looked at him.

"I hope Piper's OK." said Kate.

"She is, but twice a year she sees her pediatric cardiologist to make sure that her heart didn't develop any coronary aneurysms." said Spencer.

"When was Piper's last heart check?" asked Kate.

"It was in August and she didn't have any coronary aneurysms, and Piper refused to have the echocardiogram unless I was in the room." said Spencer.

"I noticed that she's a daddy's girl." said Kate.

"She was my first Father's Day present since she was born on Father's Day, and I'm still planning on the moat and draw bridge I want to put in my yard to keep boys away from her." said Spencer.

Kate laughed.

"Chris is like that too." said Kate before looking at Spencer, "For now you and Olivia should get to enjoy Piper and Ava being as young as they are before they are a teenager like Meg."

* * *

A short while later Spencer talking to Rossi and another agent as he had a map in front of him.

"If a MANPAD, a shoulder launched surface-to-air missile were used, we're looking at a target acquisition range of 6 miles. Factor that into the plane's forward momentum as it's coming down and we're left with this area right here." said Spencer as he circled an area on the amp.

"MANPADs are cheap and plentiful on the black market. You can get one for a few hundred bucks." said Rossi.

"I thought only planes closer to the ground were vulnerable." said the agent.

"True. Most heat-seeking missiles have a maximum range of 20,000 feet. Large systems like the Buk which took down Malaysia Air 17 are hard to get and require expertise." said Rossi.

"You know, it's possible the plane was brought down to 20,000 feet to get it into manpad target range." said Spencer.

"That would mean a hijacker was on board." said the agent.

"That could account for the missing 13 minutes of communication." said Rossi.

"If there were a hijacker, he had at least one partner on the ground." said Spencer.

"Guess who drew the short straw." said Rossi.

"Depends on if you believe suicide is the gateway to paradise or not." said Spencer.

"Has anyone been red-flagged on the passenger manifest?" asked the agent.

"Not yet." said Rossi.

"If a terrorist cell is responsible, this is just the beginning." said Spencer.

* * *

Spence was pinning a blueprint of the plane onto a white board when he heard JJ speak up.

"What's Spence doing?" asked JJ.

Spencer looked at his teammates, Commander Reardon, and the agent who got him the blueprint.

"Guys, these are the construction blueprints for the airplane. I compared it to the way the plane broke apart, and I think I may have found something interesting." said Spencer as he pointed at the part before he started his long engineering lesson, "The hull of an airplane is really just a bunch of round barrels riveted together. The wing, however, is a masterpiece. It's the most physically complicated component of an airplane. Nearly 200 feet long, it bears the weight of the entire aircraft and is shaped precisely to fit within a hundredth of an inch. The curvature of the wing is what gives it its lift. Air rushes faster over the top, creating a vacuum, which sucks the wing upward and in turn the entire fuselage. This is important because an airplane wants to be nose-up. It creates positive Gs, that sensation you get when you're forced to the back of your seat. Negative Gs, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. When the nose of a plane begins pitching downward, you get negative Gs, which puts enormous pressure on the structural integrity of the aircraft. With enough negative Gs, the wings will start to rip off the plane, which then compromises the fuselage. The plane broke into major pieces along structural joints and attachment points. There's no evidence of gaping holes or pieces of the fuselage torn in areas without seams to suggest impact with an external object like a missile. So the fact is, the way the plane broke apart, I think the crash was caused by something internal." said Spencer as he took a breath when he finished.

"So are we talking about some sort of explosive decompression, like on TWA flight 800?" asked JJ.

"A massive explosion would have resulted in pieces of fuselage the size of a carry-on." said Spencer.

"That rules out a hijacker with a bomb as well." said Rossi.

Commander Reardon who stayed for Spencer's engineering lesson spoke up.

"Wait a minute. A hijacker would certainly explain the 13 minutes of lost communication. Maybe he drove the plane into the ground." said Commander Reardon.

"Or the passengers did. This could be the start of another 9/11." said Kate.

"If that were the case, I'd suspect a faster cascade of events. Still, we can't rule it out." said Hotch.

"The reality is, there are at least 50 reasons for lost communication." said the agent.

"Such as?" asked Commander Reardon.

"As stuck mike, an air traffic controller sending the wrong frequency to an aircraft. The average amount of time for lost communication is 7 1/2 minutes." said the agent.

"We have to remember the transponder was still working. No secret code to indicate a hijacking or any other emergency was sent." said JJ.

"Let's think about this. The ACARS data recording system was turned off." said Morgan.

"And that would have to come from someone in control of the flight systems." said Hotch.

"So something happened in the cockpit. That makes it the pilot and/or the copilot the most likely candidates." said Rossi.

"Their background checks came back clear." said Commander Reardon.

"What about suicide?" asked Morgan.

"You mentioned a slats deployment mid-air. You said it was very rare. But if it did happen, how would it happen?" asked JJ.

"Pilot error or intention." said the agent.

* * *

 _A/N: Part Two of A Thousand Suns is in progress, and the next chapter will include Kate, Chris, and Meg going over to the Reids for dinner._


	37. A Thousand Suns Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison and Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 36._

 _I actually decided that I would have Piper do gymnastics unlike dance classes since I've read a quite a bit of stories that Spencer's daughter would end up taking dance classes so I thought that I should have Piper and eventually Ava do something different than dance classes._

 _Since I am going to have Allison Putnam become a reoccurring character, I cast Olivia Holt as Allison Putnam._

 _Sorry about this chapter being shorter, but I promise that the next chapter will be longer._

* * *

After Spencer and the NTSP agent finished reviewing the flight data recorder they headed towards Rossi and Kate.

"We just reviewed the flight data recorder. The plane porpoised on and off for the last 3 minutes it was airborne." said Spencer.

"But there was no indication of system or mechanical malfunction. Everything was working normally." said the agent.

"Including the autopilot? 'Cause it sounded like they couldn't override it." said Kate.

"There's one theory we haven't considered. Someone other than the pilot or the copilot was controlling the plane." said Rossi.

Spencer opened his mouth in deep thought and a few minutes later all four agents met up with Hotch and Commander Reardon and told them what they figured out.

"Ok, let me get this straight. The way the plane broke up proves there was no missile. The crash was caused by something internal. But the pilot and copilot have been cleared, so that means someone from the ground hacked into the plane's computers?" asked Commander Reardon.

Spencer nodded.

"It makes sense with the data from the black box." said Hotch.

Another agent spoke up.

"Guys, that's a bit of a reach." said the agent.

"Boeing has expressed concerns about in-flight entertainment systems and USB connections that could give hackers access to a plane's computer." said Spencer.

"Hack in the box, Amsterdam, April 2013. A security consultant from Germany demonstrated how an airliner could be hacked using a smart phone app that he developed." said Rossi.

"That test was only on pilot training software. There's no proof it could happen in real life." said the agent.

"And we all know how forthcoming the FAA would be if something like that could really happen." said Rossi.

"So, what, this unsub just blew the plane by remote control?" asked Commander Reardon.

"We've seen it before with a helicopter." said Spencer as he thought about how John Curtis hard landed the helicopter he was in with Hotch and Alex when Olivia was 35 weeks pregnant with Albert and Ava.

"How do we know it wasn't a crew member or passenger?" asked Commander Reardon.

"We know for sure that no one else was in the cockpit. And it would be hard to fly by remote control in a cabin for 13 minutes and remain unseen. Not to say that the unsub isn't connected to someone on the flight." said Kate.

"Who would do something like this?" asked Commander Reardon.

"A mass annihilator, someone who enjoys playing God or some other deity." said Rossi.

"We're no longer looking for a terrorist. We're looking for a serial killer who wants to eradicate life on a large scale." said Spencer.

"And he's not going to want to stop with this plane. We need to advise the president to ground all flights immediately." said Hotch.

As Commander Reardon walked away Spencer's phone vibrated, and he saw that it was a text from Olivia causing him to frown.

GOT BACK FROM THE KIDS CHECK UPS AND FLU SHOTS AN HOUR AGO, AND CALL ME ASAP. IT'S ABOUT AVA ~ OR

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Everything OK?" asked Hotch.

"Olivia asked me if I can call her ASAP since it's about Ava. Olivia and the kids should have gotten home from their check ups and flu shots an hour ago, and Olivia was planning on asking the kids pediatrician if Ava can get diagnosed with Asperger's much sooner." said Spencer.

"Go ahead and take a few minutes." said Hotch.

A minute later Spencer was in the mens' room calling Olivia, and 30 seconds later he heard Olivia's voice.

"I see you got my message." said Olivia.

"I did, and Hotch allowed me to take a few minutes to call you." said Spencer before continuing, "So what did Dr. Winter say about Ava?"

"Based on the questions that I answered for Dr. Winter, Ava does have Asperger's syndrome and she wants to get Ava started with Occupational Therapy with an autism specialist next week so we can get her well adjusted for when she starts school in a couple of years." said Olivia.

"At least we're taking action now." said Spencer.

"I should let you get back to work, so we can talk more when you get home. Please stay safe, and please call me when you're heading home." said Olivia.

"I promise to stay safe." said Spencer.

"I love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

Two minutes later Spencer and Hotch were looking at the maps on the computer monitor and Hotch looked at Spencer.

"So what's the verdict about Ava?" asked Hotch.

"Based on the questions that Olivia had to answer, Ava does have Asperger's syndrome and she's going to be starting occupational therapy with an autism specialist next week." said Spencer.

"How are you dealing with the diagnosis?" asked Hotch.

"I'm not upset that I passed Asperger's syndrome down to Ava since there are therapies that can help Ava thrive while not ending up as socially awkward like I use to be." said Spencer.

Hotch thought back to going through Sammy Sparks bedroom, and the conversation he had with Rossi about watching Spencer and Sammy together before looking at Spencer.

"Just let me know if you ever need time off to go to one of Ava's appointments." said Hotch.

"I know, and Livy and I are going to talk more about Ava when I get home." said Spencer.

Spencer and Hotch continued to look at the maps, and a short while later Rossi and Kate approached them.

"No luck with David Marshak and his crew. They claim they never heard of Hayman Vasher or anyone fitting his description." said Rossi.

"We may have to go door to door." said Kate.

Spencer and Hotch looked at the onscreen map.

"I know it looks empty, but 28 square miles is a lot of ground to cover." said Hotch.

"There's also an extensive cave system in this region." said Spencer.

"You know, we talked about this crash being a test. Now, assuming he wanted total destruction, you could say he failed." said Rossi.

"The copilot survived." said Hotch.

"Exactly. It probably wounded Vasher's ego." said Rossi.

"It could be the unexpected thing that would make him break protocol." said Hotch.

"So it's possible he made contact with the copilot. Maybe a death threat?" asked Kate.

"Do we have a rundown yet of all the emails and phone calls made to the copilot and his family?" asked Spencer.

"Garcia was looking into it." said Hotch as Commander Reardon approached them.

"I've just spoken to the president. Based on your profile, we're concerned the next crash will be in a populated area, and the president agrees. He's just given the order to scramble F-16s. If we have to, we will shoot this plane down." said Commander Reardon.

Spencer exchanged horrified glances with his teammates.

* * *

As Spencer, JJ, and Rossi headed towards the football stadium they were listening in to Kate, Morgan, and Hotch.

"He must have radar tracking. He knows the fighter jets and closing in." said Hotch.

"Well, it doesn't get more high profile than the nation's capital." said Morgan.

"So Washington is his Hiroshima. It makes sense in a twisted way." said Rossi.

"How long till he gets there?" asked Kate.

"Assuming the last known airspeed, about two hours." said Spencer as he thought about his father, Olivia, and the kids who were in DC.

"He can't possibly think we'd let the plane get there." said JJ as she thought about Will and Henry.

"No, but there's a lot of communities and targets in between." said Rossi as he tried to reassure them that their families would most likely be OK.

"The hard question is when to shoot that plane down." said Morgan.

A short while later Spencer, JJ, and Rossi were all smiling and hugging each other when they found out that the plane that they were waiting confirmation on landed safely.

As Spencer and his teammates were packing up Spencer looked at his teammates.

"I'm thinking about putting some flowers near the crash site." said Spencer.

"I think I'm going to do that too." said JJ with Kate nodding along.

* * *

A short while later Spencer, Kate, and JJ each set a bouquet of flowers at the crash site and looked at the remains of the plane, and as JJ started heading to the SUV Kate's phone rang while Spencer pulled out his phone to call Olivia.

"You on your way home yet?" asked Olivia.

"I just set flowers down by the crash site with JJ and Kate, and I will be heading to the airstrip in a few minutes." said Spencer.

"The kids want to hear your voice." said Olivia.

"Please put them on." said Spencer.

A few seconds later Spencer smiled at the sound of Piper's voice.

"You come home daddy?" asked Piper.

"I will be home in a few hours, but I will come in to your room and give you a goodnight kiss." said Spencer.

"Hi Dada." said Ava.

"Hey my little birdie." said Spencer.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hey there Buckaroo." said Spencer.

"I got owie om a eedle." said Piper as she glared at her mommy for allowing her to get a needle poke.

"Mommy told me that you, Albert, and Ava had to get shots today, and when I get home I will kiss your boo boo." said Spencer.

"OK, daddy." sighed Piper.

At that moment the phone was clicked off speaker, and Spencer heard Olivia's voice.

"Are you going to invite Kate, Meg, and Chris over for dinner tomorrow?" asked Olivia.

"I think I will, but I have to get going so I will see you in a couple of hours." said Spencer.

"I love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

At that moment Spencer and Kate were heading to the SUVs.

* * *

As soon as Spencer noticed that JJ and Morgan were either sleeping or listening to music, Spencer headed over to Kate who was sitting alone.

"Hey." said Kate quietly.

"Olivia asked me to invite you, Chris, and Meg over for dinner tomorrow." said Spencer quietly.

"I would be glad to accept that invitation." said Kate.

"Since we have the day off tomorrow, Olivia is planning that dinner happens at 5:30 so just come hungry since Olivia and I are great cooks." said Spencer.

"I kind of figured that since I can smell the leftovers you bring in." said Kate.

"Hopefully Meg won't mind Piper asking her to have a tea party with them." said Spencer quietly.

"Even if your two little girls ask me to join in, I won't be able to say no." said Kate.

A minute later Rossi approached them and looked at Spencer.

"I know that a child can be diagnosed with Asperger's before 18 months old if there's a parent already on the spectrum so instead of waiting until Ava's 18 months have you and Olivia been considering getting Ava diagnosed much sooner?" said Rossi.

"Ava actually got diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome earlier today when Livy and my dad took the kids for their check ups and influenza vaccinations, and Ava's starting Occupational Therapy with an autism specialist next week." said Spencer.

"Are you upset about passing down Asperger's syndrome to Ava?" asked Rossi.

"I'm not. Before I met Olivia I was afraid of settling down and starting a family due to the risks of passing down schizophrenia, and I was relieved when I found out that I wouldn't be passing down schizophrenia to Piper, Albert, and Ava but they would possibly end up autistic just like me." said Spencer.

"So what other types of therapies instead of occupational therapy are you and Olivia planning on having Ava do?" asked Rossi.

"Ava loves listening to classical music, and I'm thinking that music therapy would be good for her." said Spencer.

"Music therapy is good, and Einstein's practically a therapy dog for you." said Rossi.

"Don't forget therapeutic horseback riding too since going horseback riding is considered therapy for me." smiled Spencer.

"When it comes to those types of therapy I want to pay for them." said Rossi.

"I'm not going to win?" asked Spencer.

"No you're not since it isn't going to be easy raising an autistic child, but with how great you and Olivia are as parents Ava's going to be well adjusted." said Rossi.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer quietly crept into Piper's room and gave Piper a kiss on the forehead before doing a quick visit to Albert's and Ava's nurseries then heading into the master bedroom where Olivia was still awake.

"Did you invite Kate and her family over for dinner?" asked Olivia.

"Kate accepted it." said Spencer as he grabbed clean pajamas out of the dresser drawer so he could take a shower.

"Mind if I join in?" asked Olivia.

"I can't say no to you joining me in the shower." said Spencer as he waggled his eyebrows at Olivia.

A grinning Olivia set her book down and headed to the master bathroom with her husband.

* * *

The following afternoon when Piper, Albert, and Ava were napping Spencer, Olivia, and William were sitting around the kitchen table talking about Ava and what they should do.

"I'm thinking that music therapy and therapeutic horseback riding would be good for Ava." said Spencer.

"I think so too, Spencer." said Olivia.

"And Rossi mentioned that he wants to help us pay for the therapies that aren't covered by insurance." said Spencer.

"We must get him something special for Christmas." said Olivia.

"Probably a bottle of aged scotch." said Spencer.

William and Olivia laughed since they know that Rossi likes drinking scotch.

* * *

Later that evening Spencer answered the door and smiled at Kate, Meg, and Chris.

"Come on in." said Spencer.

A minute later introductions were going around, and when they were finished Kate smelled food cooking in the kitchen.

"What's on the menu tonight?" asked Kate.

"Eggplant lasagna and a salad." said Olivia as she scooped up Albert and settled him onto his hip, "And we just put the lasagna in the oven four minutes ago so it's going to be a bit."

Piper walked over to Meg.

"Hi." said Piper.

"Hi." said Meg.

Piper quickly took a hold of Meg's hand and dragged her towards the stairs.

"Where are we going?" asked Meg.

"You, daddy, Ava have tea party wit me in my room." said Piper.

Spencer lightly shook his head as he scooped up Ava, and a few seconds later he was following Meg and Piper upstairs to Piper's room and a minute later Spencer was sitting pretzel legged on the floor with Ava on his lap while Meg looked around Piper's room and noticed the pink walls and cherry blossoms.

"Such a pretty room, Piper." said Meg.

"Ank you." said Piper as she poured imaginary tea for her daddy, little sister, and Meg.

* * *

A short while later everyone was sitting around the dining room table, and while everyone ate Spencer asked Meg questions about school. After dinner clean up was done, Meg looked at Spencer.

"If I ever am struggling with my math or science homework, would you mind if I call and see if you can help me?" asked Meg.

"Sure." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at Meg.

"I also have a PhD in mathematics, and I taught mathematics at Cal-tech and Georgetown University before I became a stay at home mom." said Olivia.

"Wow." said Meg.

Kate looked at her niece.

"We need to get going since it's a school night for you." said Kate.

"OK." said Meg.

Olivia looked at Meg.

"You're always welcome to call me when my husband and your aunt are on a case, and I can help you with your homework too." said Olivia as she grabbed a piece of paper and quickly wrote her cellphone number.

"Thank you Olivia." said Meg as she accepted the piece of paper.

A few minutes later Kate, Chris, and Meg left the house and the elder Reids turned their attention to the three youngest Reids.

"It's bath time, and we can watch a movie before going to bed." said Spencer.

"We see minions?" asked Piper.

"We can watch "Despicable Me."" said Spencer.

"Yay." said Piper.

Spencer, Olivia, and William each scooped up a child before carrying the three toddlers to the bathroom so Piper, Albert, and Ava could take a bath together before watching "Despicable Me" in the living room.

* * *

Three hours later Spencer and Olivia were asleep in bed with all three toddlers laying in bed with them.


	38. The Itch

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81, OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 37._

 _With the location that Spencer and his teammates traveled to, and one of the victims being a drug addict I realized that I should have Spencer be affected by the case a bit._

* * *

Spencer entered the bullpen after lunchtime, and as soon as he reached his desk JJ and Garcia who were quietly chatting looked at him.

"How was Ava's first OT appointment today?" asked Garcia.

"It went pretty well, and Olivia and I decided that there will be a therapist coming in for home consultations when I'm on a case." said Spencer.

"Since this is my goddaughter we're talking about, I've already done background checks on their employees and volunteers." said Garcia.

"Olivia and I agreed that we wouldn't have background checks done since the employees and volunteers already have background checks done." said Spencer.

JJ and Kate watched the conversation with interest.

"You never know if the therapists and volunteers that are going to help Ava out is a relative of a past unsub, and none of the employees are related or acquaintances of past unsubs you caught." said Garcia.

When Spencer opened his mouth to protest, Hotch, who was standing by the railing spoke up.

"I gave her permission to perform background checks due to wanting to protect the sister of my goddaughter." said Hotch.

Spencer sighed as he sat down at his desk and JJ looked at him.

"Garcia did a background check on Henry's nanny before I could say no." said JJ.

"I might as well get to work since I am only working a half day today." said Spencer as he opened up his first consult.

* * *

The next day Spencer was sitting at the round table with his teammates.

"Bone up on your manners and your vitamin C deficiencies, crime tigers, because we are going to the peach tree capital of America, Atlanta, Georgia." said Garcia.

"What's in Atlanta?" asked Spencer.

"Local PD has invited us in for an equivocal death investigation." said Hotch.

"This is Albert Stillman. He is an investigative journalist for a local paper. 3 days ago he disappeared on his way to talk to a source for a story, and last night he was killed wandering into traffic." said Garcia.

"Wait. Equivocal death means we help determine homicide versus suicide, right?" asked Kate.

"Or death by misadventure." said Rossi.

"My point. So what happened to Mr. Stillman was tragic, but what's to equivocate? I mean, he had some sort of mental break, end of story." said Kate.

"Except that he had no history of mental illness." said Hotch.

"Could this have been drug induced?" asked JJ.

"Maybe. One of his most recent stories was an expose on an inner city drug ring, and he received death threats for that one." said Garcia.

"Dealers wouldn't let him loose in traffic, though. If somebody wanted him killed, why not just shoot him?" asked Morgan.

"We have to reconstruct his life to answer that question. Reporters like Stillman don't just snap. Something or someone drove him insane." said Hotch before giving a departure time and a minute later Spencer was at his desk calling Olivia.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Atlanta, Georgia for an equivocal death investigation." said Spencer.

"Do you think you can bring me home some fresh peaches?" asked Olivia.

Spencer lightly shook his head as he chuckled.

"Thinking about making peach pie?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, and I don't want the ones from the grocery store." said Olivia.

"I will see what I can do, and when I get back we need to talk about Halloween costumes since you don't want to do a Frankenstein theme this year." smiled Spencer.

"Want to talk to the kids?" asked Olivia.

"Yes please." said Spencer.

A few seconds later Spencer smiled when he heard Piper's voice.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi Piper." said Spencer.

"Hi Dada." said Ava.

"Hi Ava." said Spencer.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hey there, Albert." said Spencer.

"Go bye bye daddy?" asked Piper.

"I'm going away for a few days Piper." said Spencer.

"We go to park en you come home?" asked Piper.

"We will Goober." said Spencer.

Spencer saw Hotch exiting his office.

"Well I have to get going, and I will call you guys at bedtime tonight. Daddy loves you guys." said Spencer.

Spencer heard his kids tell him that they love him, and after he heard the kids running away he heard Olivia's voice.

"Your father just came into the house with Einstein, so I will let you go and please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I will try to stay safe, and I love you Olivia." said Spencer.

"Love you too, Spencer." said Olivia before hanging up.

* * *

"You can see why Albert Stillman was nominated for awards. He wrote pieces on homeless children, police corruption, bankrolling local strip clubs." said JJ as she read an article about Albert.

"My kind of muckraker. Fights for the little guy." said Rossi.

"Those are also the kind of stories that put him in harm's way, though. Any one of them could have gotten him killed." said Spencer.

"It doesn't fit this M.O., though. We need to consider the likelihood that there is no unsub, that whatever happened to Stillman could have just been an accident." said Morgan.

"What do we know about the source he was going to see the night he disappeared?" asked Kate.

"Oy, I have an update on that, mademoiselle. I have been talking and working with Atlanta P.D.'s perfectly lovely I.T. expert." said Garcia.

""Perfectly lovely" is code for not as good as you, right, baby girl?" asked Morgan.

"Moi, throw shade? Never. Let's just say with a lot of my help, we've managed to narrow down the possibilities to a throwaway cell that called him hours before his disappearance." said Garcia.

"So it's a dead end, then." said Kate.

"Yeah, and not the only one. Stillman's editor has dealt us an "Aw, come on" surprise by filing an injunction to halt the autopsy of the recently deceased body." said Garcia.

"But we have jurisdiction here. That's pointless." said JJ.

"And suspicious. Thanks, Garcia. All right, when we land, Kate and I will go talk to the editor, find out what he's hiding. Dave, you and Morgan re-interview the witness who tried to save Stillman's life. And Reid and JJ, let's move forward with the M.E. We're not going to let an injunction stop the investigation." said Hotch.

* * *

"Duct tape residue was found on his wrist, ankles, and neck." said Dr. Wilson.

"So he was held against his will?" asked JJ.

"Yeah. It's the rest of it I can't explain. The victim's own skin was found under his fingernails. The fingernails were in turn gouged into different parts of his body." said Dr. Wilson as he showed what he was confused about.

"He broke them off scratching himself?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah. And kept scratching all the way down to his subcutaneous layer on his index and middle fingers." said Dr. Wilson.

JJ noticed track marks.

"Are these track marks consistent with heroin abuse?" asked JJ.

"Oh, yeah. Tox screen came back positive, too." said Dr. Wilson.

"When was the last time he shot up?" asked JJ.

"Based on scar tissue, I'd say about a week ago." said Dr. Wilson.

"Ok, so he was kicking when the unsub held him. One of the withdrawal symptoms of that is it feels like your skin is on fire. You can't help but scratch." said JJ.

"Think about this for a second. Stillman was bound, but the unsub cut him loose. He wanted him to scratch." said Spencer.

"That tells us this isn't torture. If it were torture, he would have never taken the duct tape off." said JJ as Spencer crouched down.

"What if it's an expression of his own pain?" asked Spencer as he briefly looked at JJ before looking at the body again, "Maybe the unsub wants his victims to feel what's going on inside of him."

"Which is?" asked Dr. Wilson.

"Welts on the skin behind his ear. Some sort of external irritant the unsub introduced." said Spencer.

"Saw that, too. Lab's running tests." said Dr. Wilson.

"I don't know, a bite, maybe?" asked Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was already at the disposal site when Rossi and Kate joined him.

"So, we found William Suri." said Rossi.

"Yeah. Garbage truck almost ran over him this morning." said Kate.

"Our unsub didn't hold him as long." said Rossi.

"Then he shot him pointblank in the head. Big change in M.O." said Kate.

Spencer quickly glanced at Kate and Rossi before turning his attention back to Dr. Suri.

"Not necessarily. He shows less signs of scratching, but the bite marks are definitely there." said Spencer.

Spencer leaned forward as he listened to Rossi speak.

"So, the unsub wants this guy to itch, the good Doctor doesn't play along, bang, he ends the torture early." said Rossi.

Spencer noticed something moving in Dr. Suri's nose.

"I don't think this is torture for the unsub. I think it's a delusion." said Spencer before looking at the crime scene investigator, "Can you hand me some tweezers?"

The crime scene investigator handed Spencer the tweezers.

"What kind of delusion?" asked Kate as she watched Spencer put the tweezers into Dr. Suri's nose and pull a cockroach out.

Kate groaned.

"Bugs." said Spencer as he examined the bug, "We need to deliver the profile."

* * *

"We believe the unsub we're looking for suffers from delusional parasitosis, a condition in which the patient believes that he's being attacked or infested by bugs." started Hotch.

"He takes his victims and covers them in insects, cockroaches specifically. We think it's to convince his victims that they share in his condition." said Kate.

"Is he trying to get them sick so he can kill them?" asked Officer Nash.

"Murder isn't his goal, attention is. Believe it or not, this unsub is crying out for help." said Rossi.

"He kidnapped an investigative journalist because he wanted Albert Stillman to write a story about the bugs inside of him. Unfortunately, because Stillman was suddenly experiencing opiate withdrawal, he was already hallucinating insects, and this led to a psychotic break." said Spencer.

"So the unsub changed tactics. He kidnapped a controversial research scientist who he thought would be more willing to believe him." said JJ.

"But we think Dr. Suri recognized his condition for the mental illness that it is. That's why he killed him so quickly." said Morgan.

"It is important that we do not label this unsub as crazy or insane to the media or press. He's desperate to confirm his own self-diagnosis and he'll be violent towards those who don't." said Spencer.

"And this kind of delusion goes hand in hand with conspiracy thinking." said Rossi.

"He probably believes the bugs are part of a plot involving the government to keep him sick." said Morgan.

"When he's alone, he'll be paranoid and disorganized. His body will be mutilated from self-harm. But his search for a fellow believer will give him focus and allow him to appear calm and rational." said JJ.

"We should be canvassing the entomology and infectious disease fields as well as reviewing hospital intake records. This unsub has searched high and low for treatment for his condition, and we believe that he'll return to one of these locations for his next victim. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

After Spencer finished his dinner he realized that he really needed to stand up and move around and rock on his feet as he listened to his teammates talk.

"There's an inherent contradiction in who this unsub is." said Morgan.

"Only one?" asked Rossi.

"All right, humor me. This guy has a phobia of insects, right? So why subject his victims to the very thing he hates?" asked Morgan.

"It's not a phobia." said Spencer.

"Well, maybe not, but the bugs disgust him." said Morgan.

"Labels are important here. The original name for this was entomophobia, which is, yes, the fear/disgust at being bitten, being stung, or the fear of future infestation, but if you have delusional parasitosis, you believe you're already infested. Present tense, not future tense." said Spencer.

"So his worst fear has come true. What he wants now is exposure." said Rossi.

"He believes if society and the scientific community take him seriously, maybe he'll get relief." said Spencer.

"Yeah, but that's impossible if it's all in his head. The more people that tell him that, the more angry he's gonna get." said JJ.

"Which is why he'll take solace in people who are as frustrated as he is. Guys, there's a suspect pool we've been missing all along." said Spencer as he called Garcia and put his phone on speaker.

"I'm here for helping." said Garcia.

"Garcia, I'm going to run through a series of debated and controversial diseases. I want you to tell me if there are any support groups in the area." said Spencer.

"Hit me." said Garcia.

"Fibromyalgia." said Spencer.

"No." said Garcia.

"Chronic fatigue syndrome." said Spencer.

"Nope." said Garcia.

"Recurrent Lyme disease." said Spencer.

"Negative." said Garcia.

Morgellons?" asked Spencer.

"There's a Magellan's astronomy club that meets on Tuesdays." said Garcia.

"No, Morgellons." said Spencer before he decided to spell it, "M-o-r-g-e-l-l-o-n-s." spelled Spencer.

"Huh. Those vowels will get ya. Checking now." said Garcia as she started typing.

"I'll bite. What's Morgellons?" asked Rossi.

"It's a syndrome where sufferers believe they have disease-causing fibers under their skin. They collect them only to later be told by dermatologists that all they've found is lint, dead skin, or their own picked scabs." said Spencer.

"Sounds like it's on the OCD spectrum." said JJ.

"There's a lot of overlap. There's also patients who insist the fibers are insect-like in nature." said Spencer.

"Yeah, update. There's a Morgellons group that gets together tonight, actually. Just missed them." said Garcia.

"Garcia, we need an address." said Hotch.

"Done." said Garcia.

"JJ, you and Morgan go and see if they'll talk to us." said Hotch.

* * *

A few hours later Hotch woke up to mumbling. He turned on the bedside lamp to notice that Spencer was tossing and turning in bed mumbling Tobias, causing him to get out of his bed and work on waking Spencer up before he woke up their neighbors.

"Spencer wake up." said Hotch as he pinned Spencer's arms down to prevent him from being combative, "You're not with Hankel but in our hotel room." said Hotch as he continued to repeat the mantra until Spencer opened his eyes and when he noticed that Spencer's eyes were clear he let go of Spencer who pulled him into a hug that he returned.

As soon as they let go of each other, Spencer blearily looked at his unit chief who passed him his glasses, causing him to speak as soon as his vision was clear.

"I was dreaming about Hankel drugging me, and it doesn't help that we're in the city not far from the location where I was held captive for nearly three days." said Spencer as he felt his t-shirt clinging to him from the cool sweat he woke up with and grimaced, "I think I'm going to take another shower and change pajamas."

"That would probably help you feel better." said Hotch as he got off Spencer's bed.

Two minutes later Spencer was in the bathroom taking a quick shower while Hotch remade Spencer's bed, and as soon as Spencer was out of the bathroom Hotch was setting up Spencer's travel chess board.

"I hope you don't mind me breaking into your messenger bag to grab your travel chess set, but I thought that a game would probably help you go back to sleep while we talk about your nightmare." said Hotch.

"I take it that Jack has been teaching you how to play chess?" asked Spence as he sat across from Hotch.

"He's been teaching me, but I know that you're still going to win." said Hotch.

Spencer and Hotch started their game while they talked about Spencer's nightmare, and after Spencer beat Hotch both men went back to bed.

* * *

Six hours later Spencer and Rossi met up with Hotch and JJ.

"Where are we on the E.R. intake?" asked Hotch.

"Garcia weeded out the mental health transfers. No one fits." said Rossi.

"Our best bet is still the Morgellons group." said Spencer.

"When's their next meeting?" asked Hotch.

"Next week." said Spencer.

"It's too long to wait." said Hotch.

"We could take another shot at the leader. There's definitely something she was holding back." said JJ.

"You thought she wouldn't rattle." said Rossi.

"She won't. We're gonna have to find some other way in." said JJ as Hotch called Garcia.

"Top of the morning, fellow leprechauns." said Garcia.

"Where did Lisa Randall go after she met with JJ and Morgan?" asked Hotch.

Garcia started typing.

"According to her credit card... Drugstores. 5 of them, to be precise. And she bought a single item 5 times. Diaper rash cream." said Garcia.

"All right, thanks. JJ, see if she'll come in and talk. Reid, I need you to go to the drugstore." said Hotch.

Spencer nodded and a minute later he was asking an officer to take him to a drugstore.

* * *

Spencer approached Hotch with the diaper rash cream.

"I hope the brand that Livy and I used on Piper, Albert, and Ava will work." said Spencer.

"This will do." said Hotch as he put the diaper rash cream into the pocket of his suit jacket.

* * *

A couple of hours later everyone was cleaning up their workspace and Morgan looked at Rossi.

"Rossi, that was a pretty gutsy move. How'd you know it was gonna work?" asked Morgan.

"The doc at the CDC told us about something they wanted to try but never got around to. It's called a mirror box." said Rossi as he looked at Spencer.

Spencer perked up.

"Oh, I read about that treatment." said Spencer.

"What's this treatment?" asked Morgan.

"It's for amputees with searing pain in their phantom limbs. Basically, you take a patient, you put them in front of a mirror and you tell them to conduct a symphony, to wave, or just to relax. When their brain sees what's not there, the pain goes away." said Spencer.

"And since the unsub had dead nerves in his arm due to the shingles antiviral..." said Rossi.

"You could argue that his itch was the same thing as phantom limb pain, I mean from a brain-nervous system feedback loop." said Spencer.

"My hope was that the trick would make the itch go away, and it did, for a few seconds, anyway." said Rossi.

"I can understand being driven crazy by something you can't scratch, but killing people over it, that's what surprises me." said Kate.

"There is one documented case about a woman who couldn't stop scratching, even when she was asleep. She woke up one morning, realizing she'd scratched through her own scalp, her skull, and directly into her brain tissue." said Spencer.

Kate made a disgusted face.

"Ok, on that note, my ride's here." said Morgan.

At that moment Spencer, Kate, Morgan, and Rossi grabbed their bags to head to the SUV that was taking them to the airport.

* * *

A short while later everyone got comfortable for the flight home, and Spencer was sitting away from his teammates fiddling with his five year medallion when Hotch came over to him and noticed the medallion that he was fiddling with.

"Thinking about attending the next movie?" asked Hotch quietly.

"Yes, and knowing Olivia she is going to tell me to go." said Spencer.

"Olivia knows that you're coming home tonight?" asked Hotch.

"She doesn't, and I told Garcia that I want to surprise Olivia since I enjoy seeing the looks on Olivia's and the kids faces when I surprise them." smiled Spencer.

* * *

Olivia woke up to three toddlers on top of her, and what surprised her was the smells in the kitchen. As soon as she maneuvered all three toddlers off of her she headed into the kitchen and gasped when she saw her husband cooking up a storm.

"You didn't call to tell me that you were coming home today." said Olivia as she made her way over to her husband.

A grinning Spencer turned around and hugged and kissed his wife, and as soon as he released her, Spencer looked into his Olivia's blue eyes.

"I wanted to surprise you guys, and I saw a note from dad saying that he took Einstein to the dog park." said Spencer.

At that moment there were sounds of little feet, and all three toddler's eyes went wide when they saw their daddy as a smiling Olivia turned to what her husband was cooking to finish what he started.

"Daddy!" chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava at once as they ran over to Spencer who knelt down to their eye level and tightly hugged all three toddlers.

"I missed you three munchkins." said Spencer.

"I missed you too, daddy." said Piper.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"How about you help the kids get cleaned up for dinner while I finish what you started." said Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer as he herded all three toddlers towards the stairs just as William came into the house with Einstein who was excited to see Spencer.

* * *

An hour later Spencer was helping Olivia with dishes, and Olivia looked at her husband and noticed the exhaustion showing in his features.

"You OK?" asked Olivia.

"I'm going to attend a meeting in two hours since the case brought back some painful memories, and Hotch woke me up from a nightmare last night." said Spencer.

"Then you should go, and I will stay up for you." said Olivia as she thought about a bubble bath she and Spencer could take together after his meeting.

* * *

As Spencer fixed himself some coffee, John approached him.

"Thank you for sending me a text message earlier to let me know that you were coming so I could have time to read the case file and note that you were in the area where the case that changed your life forever took place." whispered John.

"So you know the problem that one of the victims had?" asked Spencer.

"I do." said John.

Spencer looked around and motioned that he wanted to go to a quiet corner and a minute later Spencer and John were sitting in a corner.

"I'm glad that after my sabbatical the budget committee decided that my teammates and I would no longer have hotel rooms to ourselves since I'm wake up much sooner from a nightmare when I'm bunking with a teammate." said Spencer quietly.

"Who was your roommate in Atlanta?" asked John quietly.

"My teammate who you usually correspond with at certain meetings, my usual roommate, and with me teaching his son how to play chess we ended up playing a game of chess while I talked about my nightmare." said Spencer.

"I'm glad that you're on Aaron's team since you have a caring unit chief." said John.

"He felt guilty about not doing anything to help me right after Georgia since he thought that Jason was helping me cope with the trauma, but when I confessed to him about the forced addiction I accepted his offer for help and he started keeping a better eye on me too." said Spencer.

John decided to lighten things up a bit.

"Have any new pictures of your kids that you would like to show me?" asked John.

A grinning Spencer pulled out his phone and started showing pictures to John.

"They keep on getting bigger every time I see a new picture, and Albert keeps looking more like you every day." said John.

"I know." said Spencer.

"How old are the twins now?" asked John.

"The twins are turning 17 months old next week, and Ava got diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome last week. I'm not upset that I passed down Asperger's syndrome to one of my kids since I'm well adjusted." said Spencer.

"Has she started occupational therapy yet?" asked John.

"She just started it on Monday, and I was able to take the morning off so I could go with Olivia and Ava." said Spencer.

"What additional therapies are you planning on having Ava do?" asked John.

"Livy and I decided on music therapy and therapeutic horseback riding, and we already consider Einstein an autism therapy dog." said Spencer.

"That dog is something else." said John as he thought back to meeting Einstein when he decided to visit Spencer at the Reid family home when Spencer was recovering from getting shot in the neck.

"Yeah he is, and I don't regret giving into Olivia asking me if we could get a dog since Einstein brings a lot of entertainment to Olivia, the kids, and I while being a good workout buddy for me when I take him running with me." said Spencer.

"And running is a healthy coping mechanism to reduce cravings." said John as he thought about the two other Reid children, "So how are the other two?"

"Early on next year Piper's going to be starting gymnastics." said Spencer.

"Now that will be fun, and I expect pictures the first meeting you attend after Piper starts gymnastics." said John.

"There will be pictures." grinned Spencer before continuing, "Albert has been escaping his crib and showing signs of being ready for potty training, so this upcoming up weekend Olivia and I will be busy transitioning Albert to a toddler bed while working on getting him potty trained."

"Other than getting shot in the neck over five months ago, I'm glad to see you doing very well, Spencer." said John.

"I think everyone is glad that I recovered very well with minimal PTSD." said Spencer when his phone vibrated and he saw a text from Olivia.

I THINK A BUBBLE BATH IS CALLING OUR NAMES TONIGHT, SO PLEASE HURRY ON HOME SO I DON'T KEEP YOU UP LATE TONIGHT. ~ OR

"A case?" asked John.

"Olivia asking me to hurry home since she decided that we would have a small date night tonight." said Spencer.

"Then you should head home." smiled John.

* * *

An hour later Spencer and Olivia were soaking in their claw foot tub while Spencer told Olivia about the case, and when there were done with their bubble bath Olivia gave her husband a massage that caused him to fall asleep.


	39. Three Double Ear Infections & Boxed In

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 38._

* * *

Spencer turned on the light to Piper's bedroom, and his heart broke when he saw his oldest daughter crying and clutching her ears.

"My ears hurt." cried Piper before coughing.

Spencer kissed Piper's forehead and noticed how warm she is before moving her hair away from her ears, causing him to see the yellow fluid that was already draining from her ear before moving to the other side of Piper's bed to check her other ear and seeing the same thing.

"You have a fever and an ear infection, Piper." said Spencer as William and Olivia came into Piper's room with the twins who were also clutching their ears like their big sister, "They're sick too?"

"They both have fevers and ear infections." said Olivia.

"Let's put them in the guest bedroom where they can comfort each other while I take their temperatures." said Spencer as he lifted Piper out of her bed and two minutes later Spencer was tucking in all three toddlers in the queen sized guest bed before checking their temperatures and looking at his dad and Olivia, "They all have slight fevers, and I'm going to see if I can take today off to help take care of them." said Spencer as he left the bedroom to get Children's Tylenol and contact Hotch, who answered on the second ring.

"Hotchner." said a groggy Hotch.

Spencer looked at the digital clock on the microwave and saw that it was 5 AM.

"Sorry if I woke you up, but it's a family medical emergency." said Spencer.

Hotch became alert at the weariness in his youngest agent's voice.

"What's wrong?" asked Hotch.

"Even though I was on medical leave for three and a half months this year, would it be a problem if I take today and tomorrow off? Piper, Albert, and Ava woke up crying, coughing, and clutching their ears and I want to help take care of my kids since a trip to the doctor is in order because they all have double ear infections." said Spencer.

Hotch's heart melted at hearing that all three Reid children were sick.

"Since there's no pressing cases right now, I wouldn't see it a problem for you to take today and tomorrow off to help take care of your kids." said Hotch.

"Thank you." said Spencer.

"You're welcome, and it's definitely going to be rough in your household for the next few days"." said Hotch.

"I know, but I need to get going since I'm going to be fighting with Piper to take her medicine." said Spencer as he found the Children's Tylenol.

Hotch chuckled.

"Sounds like someone I know when it comes to stubbornness." said Hotch.

Spencer exchanged goodbyes with Hotch and a few minutes later Spencer was trying to get Piper to take her medicine while Albert and Ava cooperated with their mommy and grandpa.

* * *

Three hours later JJ noticed Spencer's empty desk and saw Hotch passing by with a cup of coffee.

"Where's Spence?" asked JJ.

"He's taking today and tomorrow off due to Piper, Albert, and Ava being sick with double ear infections." said Hotch before heading up to his office.

"Ear infections are no fun." said JJ.

"I agree." said Kate.

"Spence is very good at taking care of anyone when they're sick or injured so it will be good that he is taking a few personal days to help take care of the kids." said JJ as she looked at a picture of Henry with Piper, Albert, and Ava.

* * *

Meanwhile Spencer and Olivia were sitting in the doctor's office with Piper, Albert, and Ava when the kids pediatrician entered the room.

"I hear that there are three unhappy toddlers in the room." said Dr. Winter as she looked at the three fever flushed toddlers who were on their parents laps.

"They all woke up crying and clutching their ears." said Spencer as he stroked Piper's hair.

"Well let me check their ears." said Dr. Winter as she grabbed the tools she needed to examine ears and a few minutes later she looked at Spencer and Olivia, "They all have double ear infections." said Dr. Winter as she started explaining treatment for ear infections and as soon as she was finished she reached for a drawer that contained Halloween themed stickers, "It's a bummer that you three got sick around Halloween, but here's something to cheer you up." said Dr. Winter before she left the room to get a nurse who would help put lidocaine into the kids ears for instant relief.

* * *

Two days later Spencer walked into the bullpen, and a few minutes later he was pouring himself his third cup of coffee for the day. Morgan noticed that the dark circles that disappeared since Olivia entered his life were back and his curly hair was unruly.

"Even though you had to deal with three sick toddlers the past two days, I have to say that you look like hell, Reid." said Morgan.

"I know, but I got more sleep last night than I did yesterday night." said Spencer.

"How are the kids feeling?" asked Morgan.

"They're better than they were when they woke Olivia and I up crying two days ago, so I felt comfortable coming in today." said Spencer.

"So no Trick or Treating tomorrow night?" asked Morgan.

"No." said Spencer sadly.

"There will always be more Halloweens to celebrate with your kids." said Morgan.

"I know, and Livy and I have talked about having a scary movie marathon after the kids are asleep." smiled Spencer.

"At least you have a Halloween honey." said Morgan.

"I know." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was helping wash dishes when his phone rang, and a few seconds later he was answering Garcia's call.

"A case?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Garcia.

"I will be there ASAP." said Spencer before hanging up before looking at Olivia, "I can stay and help take care of the kids."

"Your team needs you, and when I talked to Savannah this morning she told me that if you got called in for a case while the kids are still sick she's willing to come and help take care of our babies since she's not on call tonight." said Olivia as she used a tone that led no room for argument.

"OK." said Spencer.

"And when you get back we can have that horror movie marathon that we were planning." said Olivia.

"OK." said Spencer.

Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Hotch.

I HAVEN'T LEFT HOME YET, SO IF YOU WANT A RIDE I CAN PICK YOU UP SO YOU DON'T NEED TO DRIVE IN THE RAIN. ~ AH

Spencer quickly typed a reply.

I'M STILL AT HOME, SO A RIDE WOULD BE GREAT. ~ SR

Spencer looked at Olivia as he pocketed his phone.

"Hotch is on his way to pick me up." said Spencer.

"Go get ready, and I will call Savannah." said Olivia.

10 minutes later Spencer was quickly getting into Hotch's car, and Hotch looked at Spencer who was setting his wet umbrella by his feet.

"I'm sorry that you're missing your third Halloween as a father." said Hotch.

"It's OK, and with the kids still being sick we're not trick or treating this year." said Spencer.

"Remind me that as soon as I get a picture of Jack in his costume. I will have to show you since you're going to love it." said Hotch.

"What is he going to be?" asked Spencer.

"Darth Vader." said Hotch as he attempted to imitate Darth Vader's voice.

"Awesome." grinned Spencer as he got a text from Olivia.

SAVANNAH IS ON HER WAY, AND SHE'S STAYING THE NIGHT TO HELP TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS. ~ OR

"Olivia?" asked Hotch.

"She told me that Savannah's on her way to help take care of the kids since they're still feeling miserable." said Spencer.

"That's nice of her." said Hotch.

"I know." said Spencer as he yawned.

"How about you take a short nap as we head towards Quantico." said Hotch.

"OK." said Spencer as he reclined his seat so he could take a nap.

* * *

"Oh, my fighters of crime, I hate to call us all in on this Eve of all Hallows Eves, but there are wicked things afoot. Last Halloween, 11-year-old Joshua Parker disappeared in San Diego." said Garcia as a loud clap of thunder sounded causing the power to go out, "Uh-oh."

"Generator should kick in." said Hotch as he tried to reassure his agents.

A few seconds later the generator kicked in and the lights were back on.

"That was spooky." said Spencer as he worked on calming himself down before he continued, "Joshua Parker. That name isn't in any of our missing children case files. What do we know about him?"

"Chronic runaway and disciplinary problems. San Diego P.D. never classified it as an abduction." said Hotch.

"This morning, Joshua turned up in a pumpkin patch 10 miles from where he was last seen." said Garcia.

"I know this case. Same thing happened in LA. last year." said Kate.

"Yeah, that would be Tommy Wilcox, 10 years old. He was found at Venice Beach on October 30." said Garcia.

"He went missing the previous Halloween, too." said Kate.

"Yeah. And he died a few hours after they got him to the hospital." said Garcia.

"I thought they caught that guy. He had a bunch of stalker pics of the boy, didn't he?" asked JJ.

"Yeah, he confessed and pled guilty." said Morgan.

"Yes and yes. That would be Rodney Tanner, pedophile sex offender, all-around icky person, currently residing at Chino state prison." said Garcia.

"So what do we have, a copycat or a coincidence?" asked Morgan.

"We also need to consider the possibility of there being a partner." said Spencer.

"How's the Parker kid doing?" asked Rossi.

"He's physically stable, but he's vacillating between catatonic and completely freaked out." said Garcia.

"So I'm guessing he's not talking much." said Kate.

"If the pattern holds, another boy will go missing tomorrow night." said JJ.

"And we're headed to San Diego to prevent that from happening. Weather permitting, wheels up in 30." said Hotch as he left the room.

A few minutes later Spencer, JJ, and Kate were at their desks and JJ looked at Spencer.

"Are the kids still not feeling well?" asked JJ.

"They're not so Olivia, dad, and I decided not to do any trick or treating, but Olivia and I are going to have a scary movie marathon after this case." said Spencer.

"Now that will be fun." said JJ.

"I know." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone to call Olivia.

"So where are you going?" asked Olivia.

"San Diego." said Spencer.

Spencer heard coughing in the background and his father and Savannah trying to sooth whoever was coughing.

"I will let you go so you and dad can tend to the kids, and please keep me updated on the kids." said Spencer.

"I will. Please stay safe, and I love you." said Olivia.

"I promise, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

"Both victims were found exactly 364 days after their disappearance, which suggests they were actually released." said Spencer.

"And someone wanted them found." said Rossi.

"Well, they were each Caucasian boys about the same age. Both grabbed on Halloween night." said JJ.

"So the victimology is consistent, and clearly Halloween is significant. But why?" asked Morgan.

"Reeks of a childhood tragedy." said Kate.

"The question is, what did he do with them for 364 days?" asked Rossi.

"What are they doing with them? Can't rule out a partner until we talk to this Tanner creep." said Kate.

"There was no evidence of sexual assault." said JJ.

"At least not the traditional kind." said Rossi.

"The first victim Tommy Wilcox died from malnutrition, and his muscles were severely atrophied, which means his physical activity must have been extremely limited. It's possible he spent the duration of his captivity restrained." said Spencer as he thought back to when he was restrained for nearly three days.

"He also had puncture wounds, bruises, and was covered in splinters." said Morgan.

"What did he do, restrain the boy for a year while he stabbed him and beat him with a two-by-four?" asked JJ.

"Too bad we can't do the same thing to that unsub." said Kate.

"Or unsubs." said Rossi.

"Whatever. I'm down." said Kate.

"JJ, I want you and Reid at the hospital with Joshua Parker, and, Dave, you're with me at San Diego P.D. And Morgan and Kate, go to Chino state prison, find out if Rodney Tanner has a partner." said Hotch.

At that moment Morgan looked at Spencer.

"If the kids weren't battling colds right now, what were you, Olivia, and the kids going to be for Halloween tomorrow?" asked Morgan.

"I was going to be Gru, Olivia was going to be Lucy, while the kids were all going to be Minions." said Spencer.

"From "Despicable Me 2"?" asked JJ.

"The very one. We're planning that as soon as the kids are feeling better we're going to put on our costumes so my dad can take some pictures for my mom, aunt Ethel, uncle Gordon, and cousin Andrew since my mom requested that she gets pictures from this Halloween." said Spencer.

"I will want some pictures." said JJ.

"We were planning on giving you all pictures." said Spencer.

Kate looked at Spencer.

"What were the themes during the last two Halloweens?" asked Kate.

"During Piper's first Halloween I was a magician, Olivia was my assistant, and Piper was a bunny. Last year during the twins first Halloween Olivia was Little Bo Peep, I was a farmer, and the kids were all sheep." said Spencer as he pulled out his wallet to show Kate the two pictures.

"Aww." cooed Kate.

* * *

Spencer and JJ saw Joshua with his parents as they waited for Dr. Rasgotra.

"It was bad enough watching Piper lay in a hospital crib." said Spencer.

"I know Spence." said JJ.

A minute later Dr. Rasgotra came over to them.

"Thank you for waiting. Well, his physical prognosis is actually quite good. He's exhausted and slightly dehydrated, but somebody made sure he ate, maybe even gave him vitamin supplements." said Dr. Rasgotra.

"Were his muscles atrophied by any chance?" asked Spencer.

"Yes. Badly. He's going to need physical therapy, but in time he should make a full recovery." said Dr. Rasgotra.

"What about splinters and puncture wounds? Any sign of those?" asked Spencer.

"Yes. Both." said Dr. Rasgotra.

"When do you think he might be able to talk to us?" asked JJ.

"Uh, no time soon, I'm afraid. It's his mental state that concerns me. He's sedated now, but when he first came in, he was unable to communicate and extremely agitated." said Dr. Rasgotra.

"How so?" asked Spencer as he uncrossed his arms.

He was violent, tried to escape several times, kept screaming, "let me out, let me out." We restrained him and that only made things worse. I can't even imagine what he's been through. Excuse me for a moment?" asked Dr. Rasgotra.

Spencer and JJ looked at each other.

""Let me out." What was he in?" asked JJ.

Spencer came to a realization.

"A box. A wooden one, and I'm guessing it wasn't very big." said Spencer.

"Makes sense. Splinters, no physical activity. What about the puncture wounds?" asked JJ.

"Nails. The box was probably homemade." said Spencer before they turned their attention to Joshua.

* * *

Spencer stood by the clear board as his phone rang, and he saw that it was Olivia.

"How are they?" asked Spencer.

"They're all still miserable." said Olivia.

"I wish I was home." sighed Spencer.

"I do too, but you always can't stay behind from cases whenever the kids are sick." said Olivia.

"Which child are you with right now?" asked Spencer.

"Piper, and she wanted to hear your voice." said Olivia as she stroked Piper's curly light brown hair.

"Put her on then." said Spencer.

"Hi daddy." said Piper before coughing.

"Still not feeling well?" asked Spencer.

"I don't like eing sick." said Piper.

"Well I don't like getting sick either." said Spencer.

"Pwease tell me a story." said Piper.

Spencer recited "Love You Forever", and when he was finished reading Olivia spoke up.

"She just fell asleep." said Olivia.

"Good." said Spencer.

"Well I will let you get back to work, and I love you and please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I promise, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up and looking at JJ, "Piper wanted to hear my voice."

Spencer and JJ focused on their work and a short while later Hotch and Rossi came into the room.

"Just got off the phone with Morgan. Tanner didn't take either of those boys and he doesn't have a partner. He was attention seeking." said Rossi.

"So it's a single unsub." said Spencer.

"Wow. A pedophile willing to go to prison just for some spotlight. Talk about desperate." said JJ.

"The glory of stolen thunder." said Rossi.

"The ego's a powerful motivator." said Hotch before becoming serious, "What's the status on Joshua Parker?"

"He's still sedated." said Spencer.

"Even if he weren't, he's in pretty bad shape mentally. I doubt he'd be able to give us much." said JJ.

Detective Rosado entered the room.

"Excuse me, agents. We got our street patrols doubled and the press is ready for a statement." said Detective Rosado.

"Good. Time to get the word out." said Hotch before walking away.

"It's gonna be dark soon." said Rossi as Spencer started to get busy.

* * *

Spencer walked over to the garage and looked at the splattered eggs as he thought about the transcripts of past 911 calls before he heard JJ whistle.

"Hello over there. Share, please." said JJ.

Spencer turned around, and Morgan noticed that the wheels in his brain were turning.

"Hey, kid, speak your mind." said Morgan.

"The transcripts." said Spencer as he was given looks, "Sorry, the transcripts of the police interview with the first victim's mother, Charlotte Wilcox, I read them."

"And?" asked JJ.

Spencer used his eidetic memory to recite the conversation he read.

"Mrs. Wilcox, do you remember anything unusual about the night Tommy disappeared? No, nothing. Are you absolutely sure? There's nothing. Anything might help. I don't know. Toilet paper maybe. Sorry, ma'am? I went to the store to buy toilet paper and when I got back I couldn't find it. But what could that have to do with anything? Oh, god, I can't believe this is happening." recited Spencer as he ignored the smiles from JJ and Morgan.

JJ, Morgan, and Rossi realized the connection that Spencer made.

"Tommy took the toilet paper. He was out TPing houses." said Morgan.

"Hunter Olson was egging houses." said Rossi.

"Joshua Parker had disciplinary problems. Bad boys all around." said JJ.

"We should deliver the profile." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer stood with Morgan giving the profile to Detective Rosado and a few other officers.

"You really think he's doing all this just to punish these kids for egging houses?" asked Detective Rosado.

"It's his version of punishment, but yes. Apparently that aspect of Halloween agitates him." said Morgan.

"We're classifying him as something called a fundamentalist vigilante." said Spencer before he and Morgan took turns speaking.

"This guy needs space to do what he does." said Morgan.

"But less than you might think. Ariel Castro held 3 women hostage in the middle of a residential area for years. But he has to work to eat and to subsidize that space, so he most likely has a job." said Spencer.

"It would be a blue collar one he can do alone. Truck driver or night watchman, plumber, maybe even electrician." said Morgan.

* * *

The following morning Spencer grabbed his bags out of Hotch's car before looking at Hotch.

"Thanks for the ride home." said Spencer.

"You're welcome, and give the kids a kiss from their uncle Aaron." said Hotch.

"I will." said Spencer as he shut the door and a minute later he was inside the house where he saw Olivia and the kids sleeping on top of blankets on the floor, causing him to kneel down and gave each child a kiss on the forehead before heading to the first floor bathroom where he took a quick shower and changed into his casual clothes before heading to the kitchen where he started making breakfast.

* * *

Olivia woke up to the smell of breakfast and music playing on the radio. She slowly got off the floor before covering up the kids and heading to the kitchen where she saw her husband wearing jeans and a long sleeved dress shirt making pumpkin pancakes.

"You're home." said Olivia.

"I am, and I slept during the entire flight home since I knew that there were going to be three excited toddlers who are going to be excited to see me." said Spencer.

"Piper wanted to have a sleepover in the living room and I couldn't say no." said Olivia.

"So they're feeling better?" asked Spencer.

"They're ears are no longer hurting, and they're going to be thrilled when they see you." said Olivia.

"I know, and I have the day off since I was up for over 24 hours." said Spencer.

"After the kids are in bed tonight we can have our belated Halloween horror movie marathon." said Olivia as she kissed her husband on the lips.

"OK." said Spencer as he set the finished pancakes in the oven to stay warm.

At that moment Spencer felt a two year old little girl collide with his legs.

"Daddy's home!" squealed Piper.

Spencer scooped up his oldest daughter and kissed her on the cheek.

"I hear you're feeling better." said Spencer.

"No more sick." said Piper.

Spencer felt two 17 month old toddlers collide with his legs, causing Spencer to pass Piper over to Olivia so he could scoop up both Albert and Ava.

"You two are definitely looking better." said Spencer as he kissed the twins on the cheeks just as William entered the kitchen, "Hey dad."

"When did you get home?" asked William.

Spencer looked at the clock on the microwave.

"45 minutes ago, and I have the day off." said Spencer.

"Yay!" choruses all three toddlers at once before Piper looked at her mommy, daddy, and grandpa.

"I need to go potty." said Piper.

All three adults looked at each other before collecting a toddler to either assist in the bathroom or change diapers before everyone was sitting around the kitchen table for breakfast.

* * *

Later that afternoon Spencer and Olivia were helping Piper, Albert, and Ava get into their Minion costumes and Piper looked at her daddy.

"Gru is bald." said Piper.

"I know Goober, but I have a special cap and nose that mommy's going to help me put on to make me look more like Gru." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Olivia was helping her husband make the finishing touches for his costume, and a short while later a smiling William was taking a picture of his son, daughter in law, and grandchildren dressed up as Gru, Lucy, and Minions for their belated Halloween pictures.

* * *

Later that night Spencer and Olivia were sitting on top of blankets against the couch in their fireplace lit living room watching "The Exorcist" while eating popcorn.

"Happy belated Halloween, honey." said Olivia as she kissed her husband.

As soon as they broke their kiss, Spencer looked at his wife.

"Happy belated Halloween, sweetheart." said Spencer before they focused on the movie.

* * *

 _A/N: "Despicable Me 2" is a cute movie, and I can't wait for the upcoming sequel._


	40. If The Shoe Fits

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison and tannerose5 for reviewing chapter 39._

 _When looking up the battle of Saint Scholastica Day, I Googled the event and read that it happened in 1355 and not in 1335 like Spencer mentioned on the show so I corrected the year._

* * *

Spencer and Olivia set three pajama clad toddlers on the couch, and Olivia looked at the kids.

"What movie should we watch tonight?" asked Olivia.

"Cinderella." said Piper.

Spencer found Cinderella on the DVD rack, and a few minutes later he was cuddling with both Piper and Ava while Olivia cuddled with Albert on the couch as the family of five watched the movie.

* * *

As soon as the movie was over, Spencer and Olivia noticed that all three toddlers were fast asleep so they took them up to bed and as soon as Spencer and Olivia headed downstairs into the living room to clean up for the night, Olivia looked at her husband.

"Should we fly out to Vegas for Thanksgiving or do you think we can find out if your mom's willing to travel with aunt Ethel and uncle Gordon?" asked Olivia.

"According to Dr. Jesson, she thinks mom can handle coming out here for Thanksgiving." said Spencer

"What about inviting Kate and her family?" asked Olivia.

"I will ask her." said Spencer.

Spencer's phone vibrated and he sighed sadly when he saw a text message.

"I have to go in, and luckily I have my go bag already at the office." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was at the front door by Olivia.

"Call me when you know where you are going." said Olivia as she pecked Spencer on the lips.

"I promise, and I am definitely going to need to call in the morning to tell the kids that I had to go away." said Spencer as he unarmed the security system so he could get out of the house.

A few minutes later Spencer was driving towards Quantico.

* * *

As soon as JJ entered the room Garcia started briefing.

"Hi. Good evening. Ok. University of Montana student Douglas Clark was found this afternoon next to his car, stabbed at least a dozen times, and the killer left us a calling card." said Garcia.

"Oh, that's a distinctive signature. Have there been similar murders reported in the area?" asked Morgan.

"Thankfully, no." said Garcia.

"So then why are we being called in?" asked Kate.

"Last month a local shopkeeper was killed in a hit-and-run. The driver was a student who's very rich and well connected. Daddy got him off with a slap on the wrist." said Garcia.

"Which I imagine didn't sit well with the locals." said Rossi.

"Oh, you could say that. A random fraternity was firebombed in retaliation." said Garcia.

"And there's concern that the murder might escalate the friction between the student community and the permanent residents." said Hotch.

"Town versus gown. It happens." said JJ.

"All the way back to the battle of Saint Scholastica day." said Spencer.

Spencer was given confused looks before Kate spoke up.

"Ok, I'll take the bait. What is the-whatever it is that you just said?" asked Kate.

"The battle of Saint Scholastica day? I'm glad you asked." said Spencer as Kate chuckled, "Oxford university, 1355, citizens attacked students and professors with bows and arrows. Fighting went on for two days and nearly 100 people were killed." said Spencer as he thought back to when he told Olivia about the battle when they were in Oxford.

"You know, it's probably just my easygoing nature, but if I stabbed someone a dozen times, it'd pretty much be out of my system. Why smash a car window?" asked Rossi.

"Well, a car killed the shopkeeper. Maybe it's a message." said JJ.

"Or just plain anger, and a lot of it." said Kate.

"Whatever the reason, we have to assume there's more where that came from. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his phone to text Olivia.

I DECIDED TO TEXT YOU INSTEAD OF CALLING YOU SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WENT TO BED YET, BUT I LETTING YOU KNOW THAT I'M HEADING TO MISSOULA, MONTANA. I WILL TRY AND CALL YOU DURING BREAKFAST TIME IN DC TIME SO I CAN SAY GOOD MORNING TO THE KIDS. I LOVE YOU AND I WILL TALK TO YOU IN THE MORNING ~ SR

* * *

"The coroner's report puts the time of death between 10 PM and 2 AM the previous night." said Spencer.

"This doesn't feel like payback for the hit-and-run driver. Clark was stabbed 12 times. That's personal." said Morgan.

"He was quiet. Kept to himself. No problems with the locals." said Rossi.

"Clark did come from the same privileged gene pool as the other kid. Money, education, influence." said Kate.

"There's not much blood on the scene given the extent of the injuries." said JJ.

"Clark must have been killed somewhere else and then dragged into the woods and abandoned." said Morgan as Garcia's face appeared on the monitors.

"Ok, thing one: A search on Douglas Clark's cell phone turned up a cache of pornography. The non-heterosexual kind." said Garcia.

"Well, that changes the equation. If the victim was gay, we could be looking at a hate crime." said Spencer.

"And I wouldn't have said "thing one" if there wasn't a thing two. A new body was just discovered a mile away from the first victim. No details yet." said Garcia.

"So much for a cooling-off period." said JJ.

"All right, when we land, Dave, you and Reid go directly to the new crime scene. Morgan and JJ, talk to the M.E., and Kate and I will coordinate with local law enforcement and find out what we can about Douglas Clark." said Hotch.

* * *

As Rossi was driving to the crime scene, Spencer's phone vibrated and he smiled when he saw a text from Olivia.

GOOD MORNING SPENCER. EVEN THOUGH ITS NEARLY 5:30 AM HERE IN DC AND PAST 3:30 AM IN MONTANA I HOPE THAT YOU GOT SOME SLEEP DURING THE FLIGHT TO MONTANA. CALL ME WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY GOOD MORNING TO THE KIDS. ~ OR

A smiling Spencer sent a reply.

I DID GET SOME SLEEP ON THE PLANE, AND I JUST LANDED A HALF HOUR AGO. I WILL CALL YOU WHEN I HAVE A CHANCE. ~ SR

A minute later Rossi pulled up at the crime scene, and as Spencer and Rossi got out of the SUV Spencer noticed that Rossi didn't seem tired at all.

"5:30 in the morning east coast time. You don't seem tired at all." said Spencer.

"What can I tell you? I'm a night person." said Rossi as he looked at the agent who use to be a night owl before his migraines happened.

"Speaking of that, you might want to consider revamping your circadian clock to a more traditional chronotype." said Spencer.

"Yeah, I'll put that on my to-do list." said Rossi.

"Seriously, studies have found that night owls show reduced integrity of white matter in the brain compared to early risers." said Spencer.

"While I appreciate your concern, I'm very happy with my brain just like it is." said Rossi as they approached the latest crime scene.

"There's a lot more damage to this car. Look, the tires are punctured and all the windows are broken." said Spencer.

"Our killer's getting bolder. The car's in plain sight. And given the proximity to the earlier crime scene, he had to know there'd be a police presence in this area." said Rossi before he crouched down and removed a phone from the victim's mouth, "Oh. Bite marks. Douglas Clark's cell didn't have that."

"The phone was put into Clark's mouth postmortem. This victim must have still been alive." said Spencer.

"Well, let's see if this baby holds any surprises." said Rossi as he bagged the phone.

* * *

An hour and a half later Rossi looked at Spencer.

"With it now being seven in DC, it wouldn't be too early to call your wife and kids to say good morning to the kids." said Rossi.

"I'm at least glad that they were already asleep when I got called in." said Spencer.

"We're almost to the station so you better call your kids." said Rossi.

Spencer pulled out his phone and dialed Olivia's number. On the second ring he heard her voice.

"Hey Spencer. You're on speaker with your dad, the kids, and me." said Olivia and flipped a pancake as she smiled at the sight of Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's eyes lighting up while they grinned.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi Dada." said Ava.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Sorry I wasn't there when you three munchkins woke up." said Spencer.

"Mommy say you go bye bye." said Piper.

"I did, and I'm currently in Montana." said Spencer.

"We see Nemo en you come home?" asked Piper.

"I think that can be arranged Goober, but I want you to be a good girl for mommy and grandpa while I'm away." said Spencer.

"Yes, daddy." sighed Piper.

Spencer heard some plates being put on the table.

"I will let you guys eat breakfast, and I will try and call at bedtime." said Spencer before he exchanged "I love yous" with the kids and hanging up.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Must be hard for them to wake up only to find out that you had to leave during the night." said Rossi.

"It is, but I always look forward to telling them good morning over the phone." said Spencer.

"So what were you doing when you got called in?" asked Rossi.

"Olivia, the kids, and I watched a Disney movie that the kids fell asleep to, and after tucking in three sleeping toddlers I assisted Olivia with straightening up the living room while talking about upcoming Thanksgiving plans since Olivia and I were talking about having mom come out to DC since she's doing well." said Spencer.

"Am I invited to your house like I was the past two Thanksgivings?" asked Rossi.

"You are, but with Andrew and Joanna having to spend Thanksgiving with Joanna's parents this year aunt Ethel is going to allow you to help out in the kitchen this year as long as you don't criticize her cooking." said Spencer.

Rossi laughed as he pulled into a parking spot.

* * *

Spencer was working on a geographical profile as he bounced ideas off with Rossi.

"The unsub took a big risk going back to this location. It must have special meaning." said Spencer.

"Or it's convenient." said Rossi.

"What do you mean?" asked Spencer.

"No second set of tread marks find at either crime scene. Means the killer probably left on foot." said Rossi as he pointed at the map.

"There is a residential area about a half mile away if he cut southeast of the woods." said Spencer as he pointed at the map while Detective Carpenter made her way over to them.

"You were right." said Detective Carpenter as Spencer and Rossi turned around, "The other alarm was set."

"Alarm?" asked Rossi.

Spencer looked at Rossi.

"Police report said that Douglas Clark's cell phone alarm was going off when the couple with the dog found him. It had been set for 12:00 the previous evening, so I had forensics check to see if Brubaker's alarm had also been set." said Spencer.

"It had. Also for midnight." said Detective Carpenter as JJ came over.

"Hey, guys. Take a look at this." said JJ as she handed Spencer, Rossi, and Detective Carpenter pictures, "I had the tech department here construct a 3-D image of the shape of the weapon used to make the mystery punctures on Clark and Brubaker. At first I thought it might be some kind of funnel you'd use in the yard."

"The M.E. did say the murder weapon could have been gardening shears." said Rossi.

"Mm-hmm. But then another thought hit me. So I went browsing through the latest Jimmy Choo catalog." said JJ as she showed a picture of a high heeled shoe.

"Virtually... The same size and shape." said Rossi.

"Ok, now, it's not necessarily this particular label. But the puncture could have been caused by a stiletto heel." said JJ.

"If Douglas Clark was gay and the unsub was wearing these, we could be looking for a male cross-dresser." said Spencer.

"But the puncture wound was also on Kevin Brubaker, and we know Douglas dated women as a cover. I think the unsub might be a woman." said JJ.

* * *

"The unsub we're looking for is a woman we refer to as a female annihilator, a black widow who lures men in most likely with the promise of sex and then kills them." started Hotch.

"We don't yet know what triggered these murders, but it's most likely connected to a specific person or event. The trauma is profound." said Morgan.

"She's probably in her early 20s and attractive, which is how she's able to draw in her preferred targets of affluent, handsome young men." said JJ.

"But she herself may live humbly, without much money. One of her victims characterized her as a townie impressed by his luxury vehicle." said Rossi.

"The killer inserts a cell phone or wristwatch into her victims' mouths, sets the alarm for midnight. It's he way of saying time's up, or, a new day dawns but not for you." said Kate.

"Putting objects in mouths is also a symbolic way to silence or gag victims. This could also indicate the unsub feels her own voice has not been heard." said Spencer.

"If the triggering event was an assault suffered by the unsub herself, she might feel that she was denied the justice that she deserved." said Morgan.

"So she's appointed herself judge, jury, and executioner, killing surrogates for her own attacker." said Kate.

"Look closely at recent victims of sexual assault where charges weren't filed because the accused was either wealthy or connected." said JJ.

"With the most recent victim, for the first time we found ash residue in the car and on the body." said Rossi.

"This ritual aspect could symbolize the unsub's rebirth, like the Phoenix rising from its ashes to live again." said Spencer.

"And with this sense of resurrection she experiences with each of the kills, we expect her to become more emboldened and more dangerous. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was sitting on a nearby counter.

"The price tags were still on the dress. Maybe the unsub stole it." said JJ.

"I'll have Garcia look into local vintage and second-hand shops. Maybe an employee or customer fits our profile?" asked Spencer.

"Also have her check police records for young women recently arrested for shoplifting." said Hotch.

"What if the stealing of clothing isn't about finances, just part of her overall psychosis?" asked Spencer.

"A kleptomaniac?" asked Detective Carpenter.

"Maybe. It's an impulse control disorder 3 times more prominent in women than in men. Researchers believe that compulsive thefts could be a response to early childhood trauma. They're trying to symbolically repossess what was lost in childhood." said Spencer as JJ got up and looked at the board.

"But a true kleptomaniac doesn't steal for financial gain or personal use, and she's wearing what she's stealing." said Hotch.

"Huh." said JJ.

"What is it, Jennifer?" asked Spencer.

"Young, handsome men with money and status. A high-heeled shoe one might wear to a dance. Luxury transportation that at the stroke of midnight reverts to junk, and what's another name for soot?" asked JJ.

"Cinders. It's a fairy tale gone horribly wrong." said Hotch.

"Fairy tale? You mean like…" said Detective Carpenter.

"Our unsub sees herself as an avenging Cinderella." said JJ.

At that moment they called Garcia and told her what they found out.

"Cinderella? Where do I even start?" asked Garcia.

"Our unsub obviously feels her life mirrors that of Cinderella, so start there." said JJ.

"All right, go back 15 years, see if law enforcement or child services were called in to deal with a stepparent/stepchild situation." said Hotch as he sat down.

"You know what, Garcia? Also check the foster care system, particularly instances where girls were put into homes where favored biological daughters were already in place." said Spencer.

"Per usual, your suggestions have made the impossibleness of this endeavor seem possible. I will hit you back when I have more intel." said Garcia before hanging up.

"So if she's Cinderella, who are the victims?" asked Detective Carpenter.

"Prince Charmings who didn't live up to her fantasy." said JJ.

* * *

Spencer was reading a file and made his way over to JJ who was getting off the phone with her mom.

"Be sure to take pictures. Ok. Bye." said JJ before hanging up and looked at Spencer, "Got anything new?"

"Yeah. All 3 cars had the driver's seat adjusted as far forward as possible, which means the unsub's probably short. I'm assuming under 5'4"." said Spencer as JJ nodded and he realized that something was up, "Everything OK?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that was my mom. She's up visiting for a couple days." said JJ.

"Nice." said Spencer as he thought about the times that his aunt, uncle, or cousin will fly out to visit.

"Yeah, yeah. She and Henry are gonna go to the zoo." said JJ.

"Piper, Albert, and Ava loves the zoo." smiled Spencer but JJ scoffed, "Or not."

"She and I got into an argument a couple nights ago and it's still a little tense. So-it's just not a big deal." said JJ.

"What was it about? If you don't mind me asking." asked Spencer as he made his way over to sit down.

"Um... Well, my mother believes that children shouldn't be shielded from the realities of the world. I do. I mean, isn't that why we read them fairy tales in the first place?" asked JJ as she looked at the father of her goddaughter.

Spencer knew that he needed to talk about the version he hasn't read to his kids yet.

"No, actually, most fairy tales in their original form were gruesome to the extreme. In Cinderella, the stepsisters had their feet mutilated to fit into the shoe, and their eyes were eventually pecked out by doves. Sleeping beauty was raped while she was unconscious by the king. Hansel and Gretel were held captive by a half-blind cannibal. Soldiers were instructed to cut out Snow White's liver and lungs so the queen could feast upon them." said Spencer.

"Thanks for that, Spence." said JJ.

Spencer chuckled a bit.

"My point is, one could argue that the sanitized versions we have today are actually counterproductive to the original purpose of fairy tales. So that children could safely confront their darkest fears." said Spencer.

"Maybe my mom was right. The unsub believed in the fairy tale, not in reality. This is the result." said JJ as she showed the crime scene pictures.

Spencer looked at JJ.

"Piper, Albert, and Ava don't know that their only surviving grandmother has schizophrenia, but Piper's aware that her grandma's sick and has to live in a care home for her safety." said Spencer.

"But eventually you're going to need to tell them about their grandma having schizophrenia." said JJ.

"I know, and eventually Olivia and I are going to need to explain to Ava that she has Asperger's syndrome while having to explain to Piper and Albert that both Ava and I have Asperger's syndrome." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was already at the crime scene when Rossi joined him.

"Reid." said Rossi.

Spencer stood up to his full height.

"John Franklin. Garcia said he used his credit card at a nightclub downtown last night. If that's where he met the killer, maybe someone can give a description." said Spencer.

Rossi looked at John's car.

"Vehicle undamaged." said Rossi before crouching down, "Blunt force trauma instead of stabbing. Was there anything in his mouth?"

"No. The unsub is devolving. This kill was much more disorganized." said Spencer.

"We're a good 15 miles away from the other crime scenes." said Rossi.

"At least this time she was gracious enough to leave behind the murder weapon." said Spencer as he walked over to two CSI technicians, "Can I see this?"

The technician passed Spencer the bag, and he showed it to Rossi.

"This was found impaled in his neck." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer quickly entered the police station with the coffee and doughnuts that he went to pick up.

"Garcia came up empty-handed. No one working at a clothing store fits our profile. Same thing with arrest records for female shoplifters." said Spencer as he set down the coffee and doughnuts and took his own coffee.

"All right. Let's back up and look at the change in M.O. sequentially. Douglas Clark had defensive wounds, no ligature marks, the kill was sloppy and probably not planned." said Hotch as Spencer took a sip of his coffee.

"But the next two victims felt premeditated. Both Brubaker and Colin Baylor were tied up willingly and killed with minimal resistance." said JJ.

"It was as if the unsub anticipated the possibility of murder and was prepared. She assumed the role of the Black Widow." said Spencer as he headed to the counter where there was sugar and added a few packets.

"Except the latest victim didn't fit the pattern. With John Franklin, the rock was a weapon of opportunity." said JJ.

"Exactly. The kill was spontaneous, like Douglas Clark. Probably not planned." said Hotch.

"It's like she circled back to her mindset prior to the first murder." said Spencer as he headed back to the table.

"The profile is slightly off. She's not a Black Widow luring men in. Her delusion is hopeful and optimistic." said Hotch.

"You're right. Despite the blood and guts, she's still hoping for a happily ever after ending." said JJ.

* * *

As Spencer and JJ waited at the station, Hotch called them.

"Hey, Hotch, what do you have?" asked JJ.

"We think Claire Dunbar is at Cypress Memorial cemetery." said Hotch.

"That's out near Bonner mountain." said Detective Carpenter.

"You're closer to the location than we are." said Hotch.

"All right, we're on our way." said JJ.

Hotch quickly formed a plan based on how he saw Spencer with Olivia, Piper, and Ava before JJ could hang up.

"Wait, Reid. There's something I want you to take with you." said Hotch.

"What is it?" asked Spencer.

"I need you to remove your wedding band, use the shoe from the crime scene and play into Claire's delusion by acting like Prince Charming and calmly arrest her." said Hotch.

"I can do that." said Spencer as he removed his wedding band and placed it in his pocket.

"Except you're not going to be wearing your vest or weapon, and if Olivia finds out I will tell her that you were following orders." said Hotch.

* * *

As they headed to the cemetery JJ looked at Spencer.

"Be careful." said JJ.

"I promise. When it comes to my mom, I have no problem playing my mother's student when she thinks that she's Professor Reid." said Spencer.

JJ pulled over, and Spencer and JJ got into their positions as they heard Claire yelling and as soon as Claire was about to stab Chris, Spencer decided to speak up.

"Excuse me." said Spencer as Claire turned around, "May I approach?" asked Spencer as he slowly made his way with a tote.

"Who are you? Go away!" shouted Claire.

Spencer continued to make his way as he held up his arms a bit to show that he didn't have any weapons.

"Please, just give me the chance to speak. I've looked for so long." said Spencer as he continued to get closer.

"What? What are you talking about?" asked Claire.

"I've searched this entire city trying to find the right person. Are you the right person?" asked Spencer as Chris used the distraction of Spencer talking to get up, "The dance, the other evening. Do you remember?"

Claire stood up.

"The dance?" asked Claire.

"I met the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life. We danced the whole night, and then... She was gone." said Spencer as he reached into the tote and pulled the shoe out of the evidence bag and held it up, "But she left this behind."

Claire made her way over as he walked towards her holding the shoe.

"May I?" asked Spencer.

Spencer knelt down, removed Claire's right shoe and put the high heeled shoe on Claire's foot as he imagined that he was helping Piper, Albert, and Ava put on their shoes, and when he noticed that it was a perfect fit he looked up at Claire who was smiling at him. He grabbed her right hand and kissed it while imagining that he was kissing Olivia's hand.

"I brought the carriage." said Spencer.

"You did?" asked Claire.

"It's waiting for us." said Spencer as he stood up to his full height and escorted Claire to the SUV as JJ went to help Chris.

* * *

As soon as Spencer and JJ handed Claire over, Spencer took his wedding band out of his pocket and put it back where it belonged while his teammates packed up.

"Much better." said Spencer as he smiled at his wedding band as he thought about his beautiful queen, two princesses, and prince who were waiting for him to come home.

* * *

Spencer closed the book that he was reading to Piper and looked at his oldest daughter who was almost asleep.

"Good night, Piper." said Spencer.

"Love you daddy." said Piper.

"Love you too." said Spencer as he kissed Piper's forehead before tucking in his oldest daughter even more.

As soon as Piper was fully asleep he turned off her bedside lamp and left her room just as William and Olivia exited Albert's and Ava's nurseries.

"They're both asleep?" asked Spencer.

Olivia and William nodded before all three adults headed downstairs and Spencer and Olivia worked on cleaning up the living room while William decided to head downstairs so Spencer and Olivia can have privacy.

"Are you now going to tell me about the case?" asked Olivia.

"I'm not even sure if I can handle playing Prince Charming for Piper and eventually Ava anymore when Piper dresses up in her Cinderella costume." said Spencer.

"Why?" asked Olivia.

At that moment Spencer started explaining what Hotch had him do, and when he was finished Olivia looked at her husband.

"With your gentle and compassionate nature, I'm not surprised that Aaron would have you play into Claire's delusion. But one thing I know is that I have my own Prince Charming standing right in front of me." said Olivia as she kissed her husband on the lips.

A minute later they broke their kiss, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Bedroom?" asked Olivia.

"Yes." said Spencer.

Spencer and Olivia checked the security system, windows, and turned off the lights before Spencer lifted up Olivia into a bridal position and carried her upstairs.


	41. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81 and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 40._

 _To the guest reviewer who asked me who are playing Albert and Ava, I decided to cast Elliott Smith (Who guest stared in Mr. Scratch, and I was inspired by a photo of Matthew Gray Gubler and Elliott Smith together since I have it that Albert is a replica of his father) as Albert and Madeleine McGraw as Ava._

 _Sorry about the lack of Piper, Albert, and Ava in this chapter, but I promise that there will be more of Piper, Albert, and Ava in the next chapter._

 _Now here are the chapters that deals with Hashtag and The Boys of Sudworth Place._

* * *

Spencer packed up his stuff and he looked at JJ and Kate.

"See you two tomorrow." said Spencer.

"Why are you leaving early?" asked Kate.

"Olivia scheduled an appointment with a photographer for this year's Christmas cards." said Spencer.

"Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet." said Kate.

"I know, but the portrait studio we go to gets booked after Thanksgiving so we like to get our Christmas family portraits completed before the holidays start up." said Spencer as he pulled on his suit jacket before slinging his go bag around his shoulder.

"See you tomorrow, Spence." said JJ.

Spencer headed towards the elevators, and an hour later he was at home getting into the clothes that Olivia laid out for him.

* * *

The photographer looked at Spencer.

"Albert keeps on looking more like you everyday Dr. Reid." said the photographer.

"I know." said Spencer.

A few minutes later the photographer was taking a series of shots of the family of five together, the kids together, the father and his daughter, the mother and her son, and finally all three toddlers together before the family of five left the portrait studio.

* * *

The next day Spencer sighed sadly when he saw a picture of a teenage girl.

"Local teenager Tara Harris found murdered inside her home last night." said Garcia.

"Looks like a blitz blow to the forehead, then the unsub stabbed Tara before slitting her throat." said JJ.

"And he didn't stop there. He then used her phone to upload that image to all of her social media sites." said Hotch.

"He staged a selfie?" asked Morgan.

"Tara took a lot of her own selfies. Maybe the unsub's re-creating images to mock her." said Spencer as he thought about all the selfies that Olivia insisted on taking of them together while not posting them online.

"Maybe he's got something against vanity." said JJ.

"Which could mean he has self-image problems." said Kate.

"He feels ignored in his everyday life." said Spencer.

"What if it was Tara that ignored him? This could be his retribution for rejection." said Rossi.

"All I know is if this guy's into selfies, we've got a larger problem on our hands. They're all the rage these days." said Garcia.

"I know. CNN even does a column dedicated to selfies of the week." said JJ.

"It's all I can do to keep Meg from posting them. I mean, don't people understand the dangers of putting their lives out there like that for everyone to see?" asked Kate.

"If everybody's doing it, the unsub only has to look to the Internet for a sea of potential new victims." said Spencer.

"Unless Tara was just a one-off, this could be personal. What makes you think it'll go serial?" asked Morgan.

Hotch looked at Garcia.

"Show him." said Hotch.

At that moment Garcia showed a post.

"He issued a taunt." said Morgan.

"He thinks he's just getting started." said Hotch.

"Post has gone viral. It's already received over a million hits and retweets." said Garcia.

"That's exactly what the unsub wants." said Hotch.

"The "Fear Me" taunt certainly speaks to the killer's arrogance." said JJ.

"Yeah, or vulnerable narcissism. He feels like crap so he boasts to the world how great he is." said Kate.

"Recent studies have linked the excessive taking of selfies to narcissism, addiction, even mental illness. Maybe the unsub had a misconstrued bond with Tara." said Spencer as he sat down.

"He wouldn't be the only one. I've gone over her subscriber numbers. She has over 200,000 followers." said Garcia.

"Isn't that a lot for a 16-year-old?" asked Rossi.

"Yeah. It's massive. She was on her way to iCelebrity status." said Garcia.

"Yeah, what was she doing to get all those followers?" asked Kate.

"She posted pictures daily, videos daily. Mostly high-energy, long-winded rants. She knew how to toe the line between right and raunchy." said Garcia.

"Maybe the unsub was attracted to her. Stabbing is typically a substitution for sex." said Spencer.

"Well, let's not rule out jealousy. There's an unfortunate number of people who attach their self-worth to the amount of "friends" following them online." said JJ.

"I don't think the blow to the mirror was coincidental. I think she was looking at herself when she was attacked." said Hotch.

"He's commenting on her vanity, which explains the selfie. He's making a statement." said Rossi.

"He wants people to look at him instead of themselves. He feels ignored." said Spencer.

"Well, he's got our attention now, so let's make him regret it." said Kate.

"Let's go." said Hotch.

Everyone closed their files and tablets as Garcia opened up her laptop she saw the media.

"Sir?" asked Garcia.

Garcia transferred the video she's watching to the monitor.

"The media's gotten ahold of the story." said Garcia.

"We need to contain this. This unsub's looking for attention. Getting his story on the news is only going to make him want to kill again." said Hotch.

Spencer sent Olivia a quick text.

LOCAL CASE, AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW IF I'M COMING HOME TONIGHT.~ SR

* * *

As Spencer and Morgan were heading towards Tara's house, Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Olivia.

DOES THE CASE YOU'RE WORKING ON HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SELFIE KILLER THAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT ON THE LOCAL NEWS RIGHT NOW? ~ OR

Spencer lightly shook his head as he realized that Olivia was watching the news.

YES, AND THAT'S ALL I CAN TELL YOU AT THE MOMENT. ~ SR

Spencer pocketed his phone, and as they headed to their destination Spencer and Morgan talked about the case and before they knew it they were getting out of the SUV when Cynthia shouted at them.

"Agents, can you tell us what happened here?" asked Cynthia.

"No comment." said Spencer and Morgan in unison.

"Will the selfie killer strike again?" asked Cynthia.

Spencer and Morgan ignored Cynthia as they ducked under the crime scene tape and headed over to Detective Rosenberg who was waiting for them.

"Agents, I'm Detective Dawn Rosenburg." said Detective Rosenberg.

Morgan shook hands with the detective..

"SSA Derek Morgan, this is Dr. Spencer Reid." said Morgan as Spencer smiled and waved at the detective as he felt his cellphone vibrate, "What can you tell us?"

Detective Rosenberg motioned Spencer and Morgan to follow her.

"On paper, Tara Harris seems like the average high school student. Not all that impressive grades, but heavily involved in social media." said Detective Rosenberg.

"Our technical analyst is looking into that." said Morgan as Spencer headed to an open window.

"Yeah. She has our entire I.T. Department tasked with trying to take the picture down off the web. But like you probably already know." said Detective Rosenberg.

"Well, the Internet is forever." said Morgan as he thought about Hankel.

Detective Rosenberg noticed the questioning look on Spencer's face.

"Looks like the assailant got into the open window, then headed upstairs to Tara's bedroom." said Detective Rosenberg.

"How did the unsub know where she lived?" asked Spencer.

Morgan called Garcia.

"Boom for your boo." said Garcia through the speaker.

"Yeah, baby girl, did Tara's photos have GPS markings in their electronic footprints?" asked Morgan as Spencer walked back over to him and the detective.

"No, but she may as well have sent an e-vite to the unsub. She regularly checked in at a foursquare location which she tagged at her home named Harris Ranch." said Garcia.

"Did she mention anything online about her parents being away?" asked Spencer.

"Uh...She said they grounded her, left with the car. Looks like she was asking her subscribers to send her video ideas, ways to wreak havoc while they were away." said Garcia.

"Can you figure out who had access to Tara's check-ins?" asked Morgan.

"Yeah, but there may be too many to sort." said Garcia.

"Oh, come on, now, you're my miracle worker, Penelope. I know you can do it." said Morgan.

"Oy, don't write checks that bounce back." said Garcia.

A minute later Spencer and Morgan were heading up to Tara's room, and Spencer sadly looked at the smashed mirror and thought about Piper and Ava as he looked at Tara's room.

"She never saw it coming." said Spencer.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"You OK?" asked Morgan.

"I really hate it when kids or teenagers get killed." said Spencer.

"Me too." said Morgan.

"Just thinking about how much fun Olivia and I are going to have when the kids get their own cellphones and join social media websites." said Spencer as he removed his phone from his pocket and saw the text message that he missed.

I JUST SAW YOU AND DEREK ON TV, AND WITH ME GETTING TURNED ON AT THE SIGHT OF YOU IN THAT SUIT AND YOUR CURLY HAIR, I'M WARNING YOU THAT I HAVE PLANS FOR YOU WHEN YOU GET HOME. ~ OR

Spencer lightly shook his head in amusement as his face heated up a bit and Morgan saw Spencer blush a bit.

"Did Olivia send you something to make you blush?" asked Morgan.

"Olivia saw us on TV." said Spencer.

Detective Rosenberg came into the room and saw the sadness on Spencer's face while recalling that the other agent introduced him as Dr. Spencer Reid.

"You OK Dr. Reid?" asked Detective Rosenberg.

"Just thinking about how thankful I am that my three kids are way too young to own cellphones and have access to the internet." said Spencer.

"How old are they?" asked Detective Rosenberg.

"My oldest is two years old, and my two youngest are 17 months old." said Spencer.

* * *

"So the unsub's putting these images on people's selfies." said JJ as she took a bite of her lunch.

Spencer recognized the image.

"Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. A devilish version of him, anyway. Interesting choice. The unsub must have scholarly ambitions, or at the very least, he's educated." said Spencer.

"Well, the story on the Internet is that if you get a picture like this one, you're on the killer's hit list." said JJ.

"Yeah, it's creepy pasta." said Garcia, gaining looks, "Oh, that's Internet slang. It's a shared story that expands as others contribute to the lore."

"Sounds like an urban legend." said Morgan as he took a sip of his soda.

"Yeah, or a bastardized Bloody Mary." said Kate.

"Yeah, same principle, just with a new technological twist." said JJ as she took another bite of her lunch.

"So the altered selfies appear random. How do we figure out who the unsub is targeting next?" asked Kate.

"It's a long shot, but if the victimology is personal, the next victim may be someone connected to Tara. We should check to see if any of her friends or family received doctored images." said Spencer.

"In the meantime, can you figure out who photoshopped these images?" asked Rossi.

"Not yet. Whoever this guy is, he's posting to the users' own accounts." said Garcia.

"Well, even someone with minimal hacking skills can get around a password." said Morgan.

"The original photos had GPS tags, but the modified ones are missing that metadata. Maybe he's using a cloned cell phone?" asked Garcia.

"The unsub's trying to make a name for himself." said Spencer.

"Oh, "Selfie Killer" is already all over the social media sites, and some late night talk show hosts have even taken on the mantle." said Garcia.

"Yeah, well, an ice bucket challenge this isn't. So what's his end game?" asked Kate.

"Fame." said Spencer.

"Fear." said JJ at the same time as Spencer causing them to smile at each other.

"Probably both. He's a sadist and he's enjoying the panic he's creating." said Hotch.

* * *

The following morning Spencer woke up before his alarm went off and quickly got dressed before heading downstairs to get breakfast started. Just as he was setting breakfast on the table Olivia and William came into the kitchen with the kids.

"I thought you already left." said Olivia as she put Albert in his high chair while William put Ava in hers.

"Hotch is picking me up in 20 minutes so I have to eat quickly." said Spencer as he got Piper into her booster seat.

"Think you're coming home tonight or are you going to be at the office all night?" asked Olivia.

"Don't know yet, but I will let you know when I find out." said Spencer as he started digging into his breakfast.

20 minutes later Spencer got into Hotch's car, and Hotch looked at Spencer.

"There's another victim and I sent Morgan, JJ, and Kate to the crime scene." said Hotch.

"OK." said Spencer.

* * *

"We believe that the man we're looking for is a narcissistic sadist who is blitzing his victims with weapons of opportunity. He sees these weapons as symbols of his victims' vanity." started Hotch.

"First the mirror, then nails in the form of a hashtag. It's popular method of topic tagging on social media sites. These murders are a statement." said Morgan.

"Based on the organization and sophistication of the crimes, we put this unsub in his late 30s to early 40s." said Hotch.

"This guy's trying to make a name for himself by building off the Internet legend of the Mirror Man." said JJ.

"It's a form of ostension, when someone does the acts described in a story in order to bring them to life. We've seen it before with the poisoning of Halloween candy and most recently with the Slenderman case in Wisconsin earlier this year." said Spencer.

"That's the case where two girls stabbed their best friend because they believed in doing so, they would become proxies of a mystical being." said Kate.

"Also known as legend tripping. The unsub assumes the mantle of an established story, then brings it to life in his own way by recreating the circumstances described in that lore." said Rossi.

"In one version, the Mirror Man kills by showing you your refection. In another, he spears you with his razor-sharp fingernails if you capture his reflection in a picture. Hence the nail gun." said JJ.

"He's becoming immortal as the stories and legends grow, fueling him to only act again." said Kate as she pointed at the TV.

"This unsub probably lacks in professional and social graces and is most likely subservient to his peers, although he doesn't view it that way." said Spencer.

"His need for attention probably stems from abandonment in early childhood." said JJ.

"And he's tech proficient, among other things." said Garcia as she pulled up a picture onto the monitor for local law enforcement to see, "He photoshopped this image onto the victims' photos."

"His distortion of Mark Twain as the face of the Mirror Man, it's very important." said Kate.

"William Faulkner described Mark Twain as the father of American literature, and this unsub sees himself similarly. He wants to become the forefather of modern lore." said Spencer.

"He'll be monitoring web traffic, media sites, and chat rooms as he enjoys the panic and hysteria created by his crimes." said Hotch.

* * *

A half hour later Spencer was on the phone with Olivia.

"Do you think you're coming home in time for dinner tonight?" asked Olivia.

"I'm not sure, but I promise to let you know when I find out." said Spencer.

"If the kids weren't napping I would have put them on, but I will let you get back to work." said Olivia.

"I love you." said Spencer.

"Love you too." said Olivia before hanging up.

* * *

Later that night Spencer was at the crime scene with Hotch and Rossi.

"Daniel Osbourne, recent high school graduate, worked at Bethesda Fashion Square." said Detective Rosenberg.

"That confirms our mall theory." said Rossi.

"There's no indication he knew Tara Harris, but he did follow Alexander Chase online." said Detective Rosenberg as Spencer, Rossi, and Hotch moved closer to the body.

"Nail gun again. Looks like this unsub has found his weapon of choice." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at Daniel's face.

"Look at his face. This is mutilation." said Hotch.

"Overkill indicative of rage. Unlike that displayed in the previous two murders." said Rossi as Hotch called Garcia.

"Point me toward the perp." said Garcia.

"Garcia, I need you to check on Daniel Osbourne's social media activity. Does anything indicate the same kind of vanity as seen in the other victims?" asked Hotch.

"Mm...Nothing so self-involved. His last post was a taunt to the Mirror Man, though." said Garcia.

"All right, thanks." said Hotch before hanging up.

"Apparently the unsub didn't like Daniel's mocking tone." said Rossi.

"So he silenced his heckler." said Hotch.

"This could point to a devolution in the unsub's psyche. He's no longer interested in murdering people as an example of how great he is. He's murdering those who make fun of him." said Spencer.

"We may need to lower our original age estimate." said Hotch.

"Good point, Aaron. This is almost tantrum-like." said Rossi.

"This unsub could be a teenager." said Hotch.

* * *

The next morning Spencer stood outside the interrogation room with Rossi and Morgan as they watched Connor.

"You can't just leave me in here. I get a phone call and a lawyer or something. Hello! Anybody here?" asked Conner.

Morgan went into the interrogation room, and Spencer and Rossi listened to Morgan's and Connor's conversation before Spencer looked at Rossi.

"The death of William's parents probably triggered a psychosis." said Spencer.

"Idolization of a dominant role model in the wake of tragedy could often blur the lines between right and wrong." said Rossi.

"Like Slenderman. Childlike imagination took precedence over social norms." said Spencer.

"I'll tell Hotch." said Rossi.

"I'll tell Garcia." said Spencer.

Both men left the observation area.

* * *

Spencer was leaving the conference room with his teammates.

"It looks like William splits his time between school, his aunt's house, and working a kiosk at the mall." said Garcia.

"Dave, have Rosenberg meet you at the school, JJ and Kate, grab Morgan and head to the mall. Reid and I will go to the aunt's house." said Hotch.

"I'm sending coordinates and pictures directly to your phones." said Garcia.

"Thank you, Garcia." said Hotch as he and Spencer headed towards the elevators.

"Yeah." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer and Olivia were cuddling on the couch together watching a movie when Spencer's work phone rang, and he saw that it was Hotch.

"Yeah Hotch?" asked Spencer.

"We have another case, and if you want a ride I can be there in 10 minutes to pick you up." said Hotch.

"A ride would be great." said Spencer before hanging up and looked at Olivia, "I'm sorry that I have to go in again."

"It's OK Spencer, but at least you were able to enjoy a family dinner, helping with bath time, tucking in the kids, and us getting to watch a movie together." said Olivia as she and Spencer got off the couch.

* * *

Less than a week later Spencer was sitting at the round table listening to the recording as Garcia and Kate entered the room, and as soon as Spencer noticed something he spoke up.

"Did you just hear that? Garcia, can you enhance the audio at the end?" asked Spencer.

"I think I can. Give me a second." said Garcia as she replayed the recording.

"Someone else besides the unsub was there. He had a partner." said Rossi.

"Have there been any ransom demands?" asked Kate.

"No, nothing yet." Garcia.

"This guy's made a lot of enemies. He was the lead prosecutor responsible for putting away away key members of the Buccieri family." said Morgan.

"It wouldn't be the first time a convict targeted an attorney. Just last year in Texas, Eric Lyle Williams killed two prosecutors." said Spencer.

"Yeah, according to this, they weren't all high profile. He prosecuted or defended everyone from drunk drivers to gang members." said JJ.

"So basically, half the criminal population of Boston could be holding this guy for ransom." said Rossi.

"And the other half could be victims or family members of the criminals he defended." said Hotch.

"I hate to be the odd woman out here, but isn't it possible he was just a victim of opportunity? I mean, he was in a sketchy area after dark." said Kate.

"True. But you heard the recording. The attack on the car was most likely a ruse to isolate him. It says target to me." said JJ.

"It's been over 12 hours since he disappeared. If the motivation was revenge, he could already be dead." said Morgan.

"Well, unless we have reason to believe otherwise, Jack Westbrook is alive. We need to find him. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch.

Spencer called Olivia.

"A case?" asked Olivia.

"Going to Boston." said Spencer.

At that moment there was a sound of crying and William scolding Piper in the background. Olivia spoke up.

"Piper just took a toy from Albert so I have to go, please stay safe and make sure to visit Alex." said Olivia.

"I will." said Spencer before hanging up and JJ looked at him.

"No saying I love you?" asked JJ.

"Olivia had to go since she had to put Piper in a time out." said Spencer,

"What did my goddaughter do?" asked JJ.

"According to Olivia, Piper took a toy from Albert." said Spencer.

"Terrible twos aren't fun." said JJ.

"Just the other day she was drawing on the walls." said Spencer.

"I remember those days." said JJ.

* * *

"All right, let's go over victimology." said Hotch.

"Jack Westbrook's life reads like a practice guide to being perfect. Graduated first in his class. Went on to be the A.D.A. in several rural counties. His marvelous track record caught the attention of the higher-ups. Within 6 years he was in the Boston big leagues." said Garcia.

"4 years ago he made a 180, went from prosecuting criminals to defending them. I wonder why." said Kate.

"He may have been tired of dealing with all the politics." said JJ.

"Or he wanted better pay. ADA's with his kind of trial experience are in high demand." said Morgan.

"Looks like Jack isn't all dollar signs. It says here he worked with a number of nonprofits and even took on several pro Bono cases every year." said Rossi.

"He seems to have checked all the boxes in his personal life, too. He and his wife Linda have been married for almost 7 years. They're expecting their first child in January." said JJ.

"Did you think I was joking when I said his life was so pristine?" asked Garcia.

"Mm. Even someone this perfect is bound to have some skeletons in the closet." said Rossi.

"It says that he and his wife did a lot of moving around in the area. They never stayed in the same place more than a couple of years." said Spencer.

"Well, that makes sense. Guy seems pretty ambitious. All the relocating could have been for better job opportunities." said Morgan.

"Yeah, or they feared retaliation from the people he put away." said Kate.

"Last year alone, he won 33 of the 35 cases he defended, giving him a 94% success rate." said Spencer.

"We should concentrate on the 6%. He could have made promises and not delivered." said Hotch as he gave assignments.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan sat in front of Jack's boss, Ian Dawson.

"How long has Jack Westbrook worked for your company?" asked Morgan.

"Almost two years." said Ian.

"Had he received any threats recently?" asked Spencer.

"Not to my knowledge. In fact, his clients love him." said Ian.

"Can you tell us about his current caseload?" asked Morgan.

"Well, they're pretty straightforward. DUIs, grand larceny. Nothing that would have had this type of blowback." said Ian.

"What about the cases he lost?" asked Spencer.

"They were both minor. Family disputes. One client was sentenced to probation, the other to anger management classes." said Ian.

"His wife mentioned that he'd been working a lot of overtime lately. What was he working on?" asked Morgan.

"Well, he just wrapped a case yesterday, got the kid off with community service. Jack didn't work overtime for that. If fact, he hadn't billed any overtime in months. Most days, he was off the clock by 6:00." said Ian.

Spencer and Morgan exchanged glances, and a few minutes later they were leaving the law firm.

"If Westbrook wasn't at home or in his office, where the hell was he?" asked Morgan.

"That's a good question. I'm starting to think his abduction had nothing to do with a case." said Spencer.

"What are you willing to bet that those roses had more to do with guilt than romance?" asked Morgan. as he pulled out his phone to call Garcia.

"I am made of cream. Give me your coffee." answered Garcia.

"Hey, baby girl, listen, you're on speaker. Reid and I think Westbrook might have been having an affair." said Morgan.

"And the plot thickens." said Garcia.

"Yeah. I need you to dig deeper into his personal life. He's definitely hiding something. Look at hotel invoices, large cash withdrawals, anything that screams mistress." said Morgan.

"Oh, if he is sharing his sugar, I will let you know." said Garcia.

"Thanks, mama." said Morgan before hanging up.

* * *

A short while later anger flashed in Spencer's eyes when he was told by Morgan and Kate about Jack, but he calmed himself down before he could help his teammates give the profile.

"Which is why we believe Jack Westbrook used his position of authority to exploit the trust of his young victims." said Hotch.

"As an attorney, Westbrook had unfettered access to vulnerable victims who were easy to groom. He targeted those who would be afraid to come forward, because they'd been ostracized from society due to their crimes." said Morgan.

"Much like Jerry Sandusky, who hid behind his nonprofit foundation for underprivileged and at-risk youth in order to abuse young boys over several decades." said Spencer.

"We found hundreds of photographs of Westbrook's victims in his apartment. Based on the dates on the photos, our unsubs are now in their 20s." said Rossi.

"We think his past came back to haunt him. The unsubs are either former victims or family members seeking revenge." said Kate.

"And when they were younger, each of the victims had run-ins with the law, which is how they came in contact with Westbrook." said Hotch.

"They've been carrying the burden of the victimization around with them for years, and it's affected their ability to find and maintain employment as well as serious relationships." said Spencer.

"This mutual trauma would cause them to isolate themselves from others, yet draw them close to one another." said Morgan.

"Their shared revenge motive makes them extremely dangerous and volatile." said Kate.

"This is a deeply personal mission, and it's been fueled by years of shame, hatred, and anger which has finally exploded to the surface." said Spencer

"Keep in mind the unsubs are also victims. Make it known that we have every intention of bringing Westbrook to justice for his crimes." said Rossi.

"Why go after Westbrook now, after all these years?" asked Detective Lefroy.

"It's likely something pushed one if not both of the unsubs over the edge. It could have been an anniversary or a recent death." said Morgan.

"And understanding that trigger will be key to preventing these two from crossing the line between kidnapping and killing. Thank you." finished Hotch.

A few minutes after the officers walked away a familiar face came into the room.

"You guys didn't even bother to call me to say that you're in town and I had to hear from Olivia?" asked Alex.

Detective Lefroy looked at Alex.

"Who are you and who's Olivia?" asked Detective Lefroy.

Spencer looked at the detective.

"Dr. Alex Blake use to work with us, and Olivia's my wife." said Spencer as he accepted a hug from Alex.

Alex looked at Hotch.

"Mind if I abduct Spencer for an hour and take him out to eat for dinner?" asked Alex.

"Go ahead." said Hotch.

Spencer opened his mouth to protest and Hotch looked at him.

"You need a break, and you can use time to talk to Olivia and the kids." said Hotch.

A few minutes later Spencer was leaving the station with Alex, and Spencer looked at Alex as they got into Alex's car.

"I was planning on calling you after this case." said Spencer.

"I figured that, but I wanted to see how you were doing since I moved out here the same day you, your dad, and the kids left for Vegas." said Alex.

"How about you pick where we go out to eat." said Spencer.

10 minutes later Spencer and Alex were sitting in a diner, and after their orders were taken Alex looked at Spencer.

"How have you been doing since returning to work?" asked Alex.

"Pretty good. Hotch kept me from participating in take downs until earlier this month until we had a case in Montana." said Spencer.

"Now how's your neck?" asked Alex as she took a glimpse at the healed scar.

"Even though it's been six months I still get some pain from time to time, but otherwise I'm feeling pretty good since Olivia took good care of me while I recovered." said Spencer.

"How are the kids?" asked Alex.

Spencer pulled out his phone and showed Alex pictures that he and Olivia haven't sent her while talking about the kids.

"Piper's definitely going through the terrible twos moments." said Spencer as he started to explain what Piper has been doing before continuing, "She's excited about starting gymnastics in January."

"Now that will be fun." said Alex.

"Did Olivia tell you that Ava's been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and has been doing occupational therapy?" asked Spencer.

"She has." said Alex.

"Albert's pretty much potty trained, and he loves his new bed." said Spencer.

After a few more minutes of talking a waitress brought over their food.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer was sitting with his teammates at the conference room table.

"I've got more 4-1-1 on Matthew Jones. He was in and out of The Sudworth Place from 2002 to 2004. He overlapped with 22 other boys." said Garcia.

"Look for guys with spotty work histories, mostly working odd or solitary jobs." said Spencer.

Garcia started typing.

"Not enough. Give me more." said Garcia.

"They most likely would have stayed in the area." said Kate.

Garcia continued to type.

"OK. We're getting somewhere, sort of somewhere. I got 6 names." said Garcia.

"Garcia, these guys went through a traumatic experience. They would have stayed in contact with each other." said Morgan.

Garcia continued to type.

"Ok... Bingo. Chad Griffith, Andrew Ford, Brian Stiller. According to social media, they have kept in contact. Only Andrew and Chad posted about Matthew's death. Uh, Andrew recently wrote about, quote, "bringing the monsters to justice." Chad, not so much, quote, "I could kill him with my bare hands."" said Garcia.

"Two different motivations." said Rossi.

"One wants revenge, the other one justice." said JJ.

"I think we have our two unsubs." said Morgan.

"What about the third guy, Brian Stiller?" asked Hotch.

"He works as a janitor at the Harold Street Motel. He has lived and worked there for the last two years." said Garcia.

"You think he has anything to do with this?" asked Kate.

"We should talk to him." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer and Kate met up with Hotch.

"I checked the main office. Brian wasn't there." said Spencer.

"According to the schedule, he's supposed to be on duty." said Kate.

"It looks like Brian picked up where Jack left off." said Hotch as Rossi approached them.

"According to the manager, he left in the middle of his shift. She came to look for him." said Rossi.

"Wouldn't want Brian to miss out on the fun." said Kate.

"The question is, are they aware of what Brian's been hiding?" asked Spencer.

"No doubt that would have ruined the friendship." said Kate.

"We can use that." said Hotch as he called JJ.

* * *

Later on that night Spencer and Olivia were laying side by side naked, and Olivia looked at her husband.

"Should we do round two in the shower or bath tub?" asked Olivia.

"Do you really want to do round two?" asked Spencer.

"We're not going to be able to have our intimate moments like this when your aunt and uncle are out here for Thanksgiving since they will be staying in the guest bedrooms." said Olivia as she laid her head against her husband's bare chest, "So shower or bath tub?" asked Olivia.

"Bath tub." said Spencer.

15 minutes later Spencer and Olivia were soaking in their claw foot tub, and 45 minutes later they were rinsing themselves off in the shower before going to bed.


	42. Fate and Thanksgiving

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

A/N: Shout out to tannerose5 for being the 150th reviewer of this story, and also a shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 41.

I had it that Diana Reid met Jack in chapter 10 of Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Two when Spencer's teammates were able to get Diana and William come out to Washington DC to celebrate Spencer's 31st birthday while getting to spend time with three and a half month old Piper.

* * *

Spencer and Olivia were writing their grocery list for Thanksgiving when Olivia looked at her husband.

"Who all is coming for Thanksgiving excluding your mom, aunt Ethel, and uncle Gordon?" asked Olivia.

"Garcia, Sam, Hotch, Jack, and Rossi." said Spencer.

"Derek and Savannah going to Chicago?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah they are." said Spencer.

"JJ, Will, and Henry with JJ's family?" asked Olivia.

"As always." said Spencer.

William came into the kitchen for a bedtime snack.

"When are your mom, aunt Ethel, and uncle Gordon arriving?" asked William as he raided the cookie jar for a cranberry cookie.

"Since they are taking the train they are arriving Thursday morning at Union Station." said Spencer.

Olivia looked down at her list.

"I think I have everything on our list, and I will go grocery shopping while you're at work tomorrow." said Olivia.

Spencer looked at the clock and saw that it was already 9:30.

"I say that we head up to bed Livy." said Spencer before looking at his father, "Good night dad, and see you in the morning."

"What do you think about having cranberry pancakes for breakfast tomorrow morning?" asked Olivia.

Spencer's stomach growled at the mention of cranberry pancakes as Olivia giggled.

"Cranberry pancakes it is, and please eat a few cranberry cookies before we head up to bed." said Olivia as she poked at Spencer's stomach.

Spencer eagerly took two cookies from the cookie jar before looking at Olivia.

"Just never tell Garcia that I prefer your baking over her baking." said Spencer.

"I promise." giggled Olivia.

* * *

The following morning Spencer smiled at Piper who was happily eating her cranberry pancakes.

"Are they yummy?" asked Spence.

"Uh huh." said Piper with a mouthful of cranberry pancakes.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full, Piper." said Olivia.

Piper swallowed her food before looking at her mother.

"Sorry mommy." said Piper.

"It's OK Piper, but talking with your mouth full of food is rude and it's a choking hazard." said Olivia.

Piper committed what her mother told her about talking with her mouth full of food to memory.

"Excited about seeing Nana, uncle Gordon, and aunt Ethel in a few days?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

"What does the turkey say, Piper?" asked Olivia.

"Gobble gobble." said Piper.

Spencer looked at his son.

"Can you say what the turkey say?" asked Spencer.

"Obble obble." chorused Albert.

"Great job buddy." said Spencer.

Albert lifted up a small portion of his cranberry pancake and held it out to his daddy.

"No thank you, bud. You eat it up since you need the energy to play with mommy, grandpa, Piper, and Ava today."

Albert happily put the pancake into his mouth while Piper looked at her daddy.

"You pway wit me today?" asked Piper.

"I can't play with you today, but maybe tonight if I don't go bye bye." said Spencer as he empathized on the "th" sound for his oldest daughter.

"OK." said Piper.

Spencer looked at the clock before looking at his dad, Olivia, and the kids.

"Well I need to go to work." said Spencer as he got up from his stool and rinsed off his plate before pouring fresh coffee into his travel mug.

"Think that's going to last you all the way to Quantico?" asked Olivia in a teasing manner.

"Hopefully." said Spencer with a lopsided grin as he added some sugar.

* * *

An hour and a half later Spencer looked at Kate while they worked on their consults.

"So what are you, Chris, and Meg doing for Thanksgiving?" asked Spencer.

"Spending it with my in-laws." said Kate before looking at Spencer, "You?"

"My mom, aunt Ethel, and uncle Gordon are taking the train here all the way from Nevada and Hotch, Jack, Garcia, and Sam are joining us." said Spencer.

"Why Hotch?" asked Kate.

"So he can spend time with his goddaughter." said Spencer.

JJ looked at Kate.

"Piper really gets Hotch to soften up." said JJ.

Spencer looked at Kate.

"I practically got Hotch to soften up since he started working with me while I was a 21 year old cadet in the academy." said Spencer.

At that moment Garcia and Hotch stepped out of Hotch's office.

"We have a case." said Hotch.

A few minutes later Spencer was sitting with his teammates in the conference room.

"3 bodies have been found in Reston, Virginia, each violently stabbed, then posed, about a week apart. The first two, Kevin Brown and Rick Mendoza, were murdered in their homes. The third one, Jessica Randall, was killed in her hair salon last night." said Garcia.

"Bold and brutal. So what did the first two victims do?" asked Kate.

"Kevin worked at a hardware store. Rick was an auto mechanic." said Garcia.

"Maybe the unsub's a customer. We should check appointment logs." said Spencer while being pleased that it's a local case.

"Already did that." said Garcia.

"Well, gender isn't a factor. They could all be victims of opportunity." said Morgan.

"Did they live near each other?" asked JJ.

"3 miles apart." said Garcia.

"They still could have been strangers." said Rossi.

"Both homes were broken into through a back window. Washington field isn't sure how the unsub got into the salon." said Hotch.

"It's high risk. Maybe we're looking at a drug addict?" asked Kate.

"But nothing was stolen. And he took the time to re-dress the victims." said Rossi.

"Strange. The unsub stabbed the victims in their original clothing and then found clean ones to put them in." said Spencer.

"Yeah, they fit well. Maybe he brought the new ones with him." said JJ.

"Or he could have taken them from their homes." said Hotch.

"So the unsub took the clothes the victims were wearing as trophies." said Morgan.

"They weren't found on the scene. It could be a ritual." said Hotch.

"Or our unsub gets high on the kill, then comes down, feels remorse." said JJ.

"The time between kills is decreasing, suggesting the unsub's emboldened and getting better at victim acquisition." said Spencer.

"Then the after effects of the killing will either exacerbate his guilt or cause him to strike out again soon." said Hotch before he gave assignments.

A few minutes later Spencer was giving Olivia a call.

"A case?" asked Olivia.

"It's another local one so we're working from Quantico." said Spencer.

"So there's a chance that you will come home tonight?" asked Olivia.

"I will be coming home tonight." said Spencer.

"Well I will let you get back to work, and please call me when you're on your way home." said Olivia.

"I promise." said Spencer.

"Please stay safe, and I love you." said Olivia.

"I'll try to stay safe, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up so he could help Hotch set up in the bullpen.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was sitting on a desk in the bullpen with Hotch while Morgan, JJ, Kate, and Rossi headed to the crime scenes while Garcia worked in her lair.

"All right, victimology. From what we can tell, the victims' lives didn't intersect." said Hotch.

"Since one worked at a hardware store and the others at a body shop and a hair salon, maybe he's targeting local businesses." said Morgan.

"Or our unsub's the common thread." said JJ.

"I cross-checked patrons. There's no overlap." said Garcia.

"He might have paid cash." said Morgan.

"We should check security footage." said Rossi.

"There's no obvious vulnerability or desirability component to the unsub's selection criteria." said Spencer.

"But the brutality was the same. Over a dozen stab wounds in each victim. This feels personal." said Kate.

"There's definitely overkill and rage." said JJ.

"Well, there wouldn't have been time between the kills for planning or surveillance." said Hotch.

"Maybe our unsub knew the victims and this is a vendetta?" asked Kate.

"If that's the case, we need to find the nexus between these victims. There'll be a Washington field agent to meet you when you arrive." said Hotch before hanging up.

"Hopefully we will find the unsub just before Thursday." said Spencer as he started reading through files./

"Is your mom still coming out?" asked Hotch.

"She is." said Spencer.

"Does she know that Jack and I are joining you guys for dinner?" asked Hotch.

"She does, and she's excited about reading to another child other than her grandchildren on Thursday." said Spencer.

Hotch decided to focus on the case.

* * *

After Spencer talked to Rick's friends and family he headed towards Hotch who was heading towards him.

"Victim number two, Rick Mendoza, had a direct personality. He would tell it like it is at the body shop." said Spencer.

"Jessica had the same sort of reputation at the salon." said Hotch.

"Since all of our victims are in the service industry, maybe our unsub interfaced with them and had bad interactions." said Spencer.

Hotch decided to finish Spencer's thoughts.

"Someone might have seen something." said Hotch.

"We'll keep interviewing co-workers and surrounding business owners." said Spencer.

"I'll have Garcia look at Jessica's clients. Maybe somebody retaliated." said Hotch.

Both men went back to their planned assignments.

* * *

A short while later Morgan and JJ got back, and a few minutes later Rossi and Kate returned.

"Anything?" asked Hotch.

"Lots of long brown hairs in the dryer. They don't match the victim." said Kate.

"We found hair, too. Maybe the unsub's losing it." said JJ.

"Or our victims yanked it out while fighting for their lives. Clearly, she not forensically sophisticated." said Spencer.

"We should run it for DNA. We might get an I.D. or at least ethnicity and an age range." said Hotch.

"Because of the one neat aspect, we had Garcia check out people in regimented institutions, but she came up empty." said Morgan as Kate's phone beeped.

"Did she check out DC, Maryland, and Virginia?" asked Rossi.

"The whole DMV." said JJ.

"Washington Field found the clothes our first two victims were stabbed in, neatly folded up in their respective closets." said Kate.

"Well, at least our unsub's considerate." said Rossi.

"We should keep searching. Clearly her desire to kill is unabated." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was setting breakfast on the table when William and Olivia came downstairs with the kids.

"Thank you for getting breakfast done while your dad and I got the kids ready." said Olivia.

"You're welcome." said Spencer as he worked on getting the kids portions of blueberry pancakes and breakfast sausage onto plates.

A few minutes later Spencer was eating breakfast with his family and Piper looked at her daddy.

"When is Nana coming?" asked Piper.

"Her train is arriving in two days, and aunt Ethel and uncle Gordon will be here too." said Spencer.

"Yay!" squealed Piper, Albert, and Ava.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer and his teammates were giving the profile in the bullpen.

"We believe the unsub we're looking for is a Caucasian women between the ages of 40 and 50. We think that she's suffering from what we call intermittent explosive disorder." started Hotch.

"This disorder usually occurs after a traumatic event. It involves repeated acts of impulsive and aggressively violent behavior." said Rossi.

"It involves angry outbursts where the sufferer reacts in disproportion to the situation." said Kate.

"In this case, the unsub lets her anger fester, then later lashes out. We believe she had prior. confrontations with all the victims." said JJ.

"After she kills or is thinking about killing, we believe that she's pulling her own hair out. This is called trichotillomania, and it's a way that she relieves stress." said Hotch.

"She'll appear rational at times but be triggered by external disputes or confrontations." said Rossi.

"Her anger and remorse will make her feel like she has two personalities. We believe she was hospitalized because of mental problems but she stopped taking her medication since being released. And since she's no longer in the environment that helped her control her urges, she's been triggered to start killing." said Spencer.

"We see no indication that these homicidal feelings in her will subside. We believe she will continue to kill as long as she encounters stressors that set her off." said Morgan.

* * *

A short while later Spencer and his teammates were gathered in the bullpen.

"Ok, I know that we said we weren't looking for an addict. What about somebody who was in rehab, is now off drugs and out?" asked Kate.

"Theory?" asked Rossi.

"Same structured behavior. Similar routines to being institutionalized." said Kate.

"No, there's no one who fits the profile in any drug rehab center." said Garcia.

"Can you check surrounding areas?" asked Hotch.

"I checked every state." said Garcia.

"What else could have caused her I.E.D?" asked Rossi.

"Frontal lobe damage from a head injury of some sort." said Spencer.

"Then maybe she had to undergo inpatient physical therapy." said JJ.

"A rehabilitation program would have exposed her to regimented behavior." said Morgan.

"And the moment that she was released or started driving her car, her rage could have been triggered." said Kate.

"And check physical rehab centers as well." said Hotch.

"On it." said Garcia.

Rossi noticed his stalker come into the bullpen with other reporters.

"You're kidding." said Rossi.

"What?" asked Hotch.

Everyone looked in the direction Rossi was heading.

"Nothing. I'll be right back." said Rossi.

Everyone decided to get back to business while Rossi was away.

"I have checked all local rehab facilities for recently released patients that fit the profile. I'm still coming up empty." said Garcia.

"What about private or HMO-run physical rehab centers?" asked Hotch.

Garcia did some typing.

"Wait... Uh, uh, OK, 10 months ago a woman named Ellen Connell was in a horrible car accident that put her in an HMO rehab center for 4 months." said Garcia.

"What happened?" asked JJ.

"Her car collided with two teen girls." said Garcia.

"How bad was Ellen hurt?" asked Kate.

"So bad that she had hundreds of days of physical therapy due to head injuries. She was released a month ago, a week before the first killing." said Garcia.

"She must have had frontal lobe damage that destroyed her impulse control." said Hotch.

"And since she's developed I.E.D, she's no longer able able to control her bursts of rage and the violence that follows." said Spencer.

"So she's fine until she gets mad." said JJ.

"But after she kills and her anger subsides, she reverts back to her normal behavior." said Morgan.

"Is there any overlap of the victims?" asked Spencer.

"She works at the same architectural firm as her latest victim. And she specializes in doors and windows." said Garcia.

"That's how she was able to get in and out of the crime scenes." said Morgan.

"She also ordered a bunch of wigs and lives two blocks away from the third victim's hair salon." said Garcia.

"All right, send the address to our phones." said Hotch.

Spencer walked off with his teammates.

* * *

Two days later Spencer smiled when he saw his mom, aunt, Ethel, and uncle Gordon get off the train with their bags and made a beeline towards them.

"How was the trip?" asked Spencer as he accepted hugs from his mom, aunt, and uncle.

"Everything went smoothly." said Gordon.

"Good." said Spencer.

Ethel looked at her nephew.

"I think your unruly curls need a trim, Spencer." said Ethel.

"Olivia doesn't want me to cut my hair yet since she likes the way it looks right now." said Spencer as he locked arms with his mom before leading his mom, aunt, and uncle towards his car.

* * *

Piper grinned when she saw her grandma.

"Nana!" shouted Piper as she ran over to her grandmother who eagerly scooped her up.

"You are getting so big, Piper." said Diana as she hugged and kissed her oldest granddaughter and carried her over to the couch where she sat down with Piper on her lap.

"Pwease read to me, Nana." said Piper.

"I need to greet your little brother and sister first, Piper." said Diana when she saw Olivia come downstairs with Albert and Ava on her hips.

"Where's my greeting, Piper?" asked Gordon.

Piper jumped off her grandma's lap and ran over to her great uncle who eagerly scooped her up while Olivia set down the twins who sprinted over to their grandma.

"Nana." said Albert and Ava.

Diana scooped up her two youngest grandchildren and hugged them while taking in the appearance of Albert looking like a clone of his daddy while Ava looked like a clone of her mother before Piper ran towards them.

"Pwease read to me now." said Piper.

Diana looked at her son.

"There are a few books that I brought along. Can you please go grab them?" asked Diana.

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer as he headed over to Diana's bag and a minute later Diana was reading to her grandchildren.

Ethel looked at Olivia who was watching her children being read to by their grandma.

"So has dinner been started yet?" asked Ethel.

"I just put the turkey into the oven a half hour ago, but our guests are arriving soon so I'm going to need more help once Penelope arrives." said Olivia.

"Who's all coming?" asked Ethel.

"Hotch, Jack, Penelope, and her boyfriend Sam." said Spencer.

"No David?" asked Gordon.

"He's in San Francisco getting to know his daughter, son in law, and grandson that he just found out about a few days ago." said Spencer as he thought about the phone call he got from Rossi about not being able to make it for Thanksgiving.

"He has a daughter?" asked Gordon.

"He thought that he had a stalker the past week, and the other day he found out that his second ex-wife never told him that he has a daughter." said Spencer.

"Wow." said Gordon.

"Everyone is shocked, but we're not upset that Rossi isn't joining us this year." said Spencer.

At that moment the doorbell rang, and a few seconds later Spencer was allowing Hotch, Jack, Penelope, and Sam into the house and quickly introduced Sam to his mom, aunt, and uncle before Penelope, Ethel, and Olivia headed into the kitchen leaving Spencer, William, Sam, Hotch, and Diana with Jack, Piper, Albert, and Ava.

"How's the fourth grade going bud?" asked Spencer as he looked at Jack.

"Great." said Jack as he looked towards Diana who quickly recognized Jack from pictures that she was sent.

"You can join us, Jack." said Diana.

A minute later Spencer and Jack were on the floor before Piper decided to plop herself onto Jack's lap, causing a few chuckles at the pout that Spencer was showing since he was hoping Piper would sit on his lap.

"I thought you were going to sit on my lap?" asked Spencer as he continued to pout at Piper.

"I sit on Jack's lap." said Piper before she turned her head to watch her grandma read out loud.

* * *

20 minutes later Ethel, Olivia, and Garcia heard laughter from the kitchen causing all three women to go investigate and what they saw caused Olivia and Garcia to pull out their phones and film the scene of Piper and Jack both tickling a laughing Spencer on the floor while William, Hotch, Sam, Diana, Albert, and Ava were all laughing while a smirking Hotch was also recording the moment.

A minute later Olivia looked at her oldest daughter.

"I think daddy had enough, sweet pea." said Olivia.

Piper stopped tickling her daddy and looked up at her mommy.

"OK, mommy." sighed Piper.

Spencer took the opportunity to snatch his daughter and started blowing raspberries on her belly, causing the two year old little girl to squeal with laughter while everyone laughed at the sight of the father and daughter who were both laughing.

* * *

Two hours later everyone was sitting around the dining room table enjoying the turkey dinner and other dishes that were made while talking about anything but work, and Garcia looked at Olivia.

"Are you up to Black Friday shopping tomorrow with Kate, JJ, and I?" asked Garcia as she thought back to the conversation she had with JJ and Kate about going Black Friday Shopping.

"I am, since I have a lot of Christmas shopping I need to do." said Olivia as she thought about the planned trip to Victoria's Secret.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"We put up tree?" asked Piper as she tried to work her puppy dog eyes on her daddy.

"We can put it up tomorrow after I take Nana Diana, aunt Ethel, and uncle Gordon to the airport." said Spencer.

"Yay." said Piper before she put another forkful of turkey into her mouth and chewing.

* * *

The following morning Olivia was walking through Victoria's Secret with JJ, Kate, and Garcia.

"So what are you planning on getting Spencer for Christmas?" asked Garcia as she watched Olivia go through racks.

Olivia saw something that she liked and held it up to JJ, Kate, and Garcia.

"Spencer loves seeing this color on me" said Olivia.

"Good choice." said Garcia.

After roaming around Victoria's Secret for another half hour, all four ladies made their purchases before heading to the cafeteria where they all got fruit smoothies before all four ladies decided to talk about their men and kids.

* * *

Meanwhile Spencer was at the airport with his mom, uncle Gordon, and aunt Ethel.

"With me having to be in the DC and Virginia area for Christmas this year, are you guys coming out here for Christmas?" asked Spencer.

"Andrew, Joanna, Rachel, and I are." said Gordon.

"Me too." said Ethel.

Spencer looked at his mom.

"Do you want to come out here for Christmas?" asked Spencer.

"I think I'm going to stay in Las Vegas since I'm not liking the November chill in this city right now." said Diana as she tugged her coat tighter.

"It's OK mom, but we will Skype with you." said Spencer.

"But if you get a case in Las Vegas or a city not far from Vegas, you better see if I'm in town so we can see each other." said Diana.

"I promise, mom." said Spencer as he hugged his mom.

A few minutes later it was time for his mom, aunt, and uncle to get on the plane and a few minutes later he was heading back to his car.

* * *

An hour later Spencer was piecing together the artificial tree, and when he was finished he looked at his dad who was sorting through the ornaments.

"The tree is put together." said Spencer.

"Let's start decorating." said William.

A few minutes later Spencer and William were decorating the tree while Piper, Albert, and Ava helped put on a few occasional ornaments and Spencer and William sang some Christmas carols.

* * *

 _A/N: When I was a child, there were times that the Christmas tree was put up the day after Thanksgiving._


	43. Amelia Porter

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

 _A/N: Shout out to Hippichic81, tannerose5, and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 42._

 _I decided to have Diana Reid travel to Washington DC for Thanksgiving in the last chapter because of the reasons why Spencer, Olivia, William, and the kids will be spending Thanksgiving in my next story Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Four._

 _I know that we're getting close to the emotional story arc that Spencer had to deal with in season 10, so here's a heads up that tissues will be needed soon since I still have to get through Christmas of 2014, The Forever People, and Anonymous._

 _Albert and Ava are now 18 months old in this story._

* * *

Dr. Woodson looked at the two young parents who had Piper and Albert on their laps.

"The lab can have Piper's and Albert's glasses ready in an hour so as soon as you guys pick out Piper's and Albert's glasses." said Dr. Woodson.

"Thank you." said Olivia.

Spencer pulled out his phone to send Hotch a text message.

IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF BEFORE I COME IN SINCE I NEED TO HELP PICK OUT PIPER'S AND ALBERT'S GLASSES. ~ SR

A minute later he got a reply.

TAKE AS LONG AS YOU NEED. THERE ARE NO PRESSING CASES AT THE MOMENT, AND I EXPECT A PICTURE OF PIPER IN HER NEW GLASSES. ~ AH

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Hotch told me that I can take as long as I need, and he expects a picture of his goddaughter in her new glasses." said Spencer.

A minute later Spencer and Olivia were helping Piper and Albert pick out their glasses, and Spencer looked at Albert.

"Since you love to put mine on, would you like frames like mine buddy?" asked Spencer.

Albert nodded, causing his growing curls to bounce.

Spencer found frames that just look like his, and he knelt down to Albert's eye level and slipped them onto the bridge of Albert's nose and before looking up at Olivia as he wrapped an arm around his son.

"What do you think?" asked Spencer as he looked at his wife.

Olivia looked at her two favorite men.

"I think my two favorite men look handsome." said Olivia as she found a pair of purple glasses that had white polka dots on the temples, "Let's try these on Piper." said Olivia.

Piper allowed her mommy to slip the glasses onto the bridge of her nose, and after looking in the mirror that her mommy placed in front of her, Piper looked at her daddy who was handing the glasses that Albert was getting to one of the employees.

"Look at me, daddy." said Piper.

Spencer smiled at the sight of his oldest daughter wearing glasses.

"You look beautiful in them." said Spencer.

Piper looked at her mommy.

"I like em." said Piper.

Olivia removed the glasses from the bridge of her oldest daughter's nose and passed them to the employee who was waiting for them.

"They will be ready in an hour, so if you guys are going to go walk around the mall to do Christmas shopping I will contact you when the glasses are ready." said the employee before she quickly made measurements for the straps that would help keep Piper's and Albert's glasses in place.

"Thank you." said Olivia as she scooped up Albert while Spencer scooped up Piper.

"Let's go get some Christmas shopping done for my teammates, Jack, and Henry." said Spencer.

* * *

An hour later Olivia was taking a picture of Spencer, Piper, and Albert grinning together in their glasses, and a few minutes later Olivia was driving Piper and Albert home with their purchases while Spencer drove towards Quantico for work.

* * *

Spencer entered the bullpen, and a few minutes later he was at his desk where JJ looked at him.

"How was the kids visit to the eye doctor?" asked JJ.

"Piper and Albert are both farsighted and diagnosed with astigmatism, and luckily we were able to leave the optometrist's office with Piper and Albert wearing their new glasses an hour after picking them out." said Spencer.

"What about Ava?" asked Kate.

"She didn't have an appointment today since Olivia's taking her tomorrow." said Spencer.

"Do you have any pictures of Piper and Albert in their new glasses?" asked JJ.

"I do." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and a few seconds later he was showing JJ and Kate the picture that Olivia took of him, Piper, and Albert all wearing their glasses.

"Aww." said JJ and Kate at the same time as she took in the smiling faces of Spencer, Piper, and Albert wearing their glasses.

"Are you OK about two of your kids having to start wearing glasses?" asked JJ.

"I knew the possibility that the kids could inherit my bad vision since I had to start wearing glasses at three." said Spencer.

"And Albert's glasses just look like yours." said Kate.

"Albert told Olivia and I that he wanted his glasses to look like mine." said Spencer right before he headed up to Hotch's office and a few seconds later he was in Hotch's office.

"So what's the verdict for Piper and Albert since you mentioned in your text that they both need glasses?" asked Hotch.

"They're both farsighted and have astigmatism just like me, and I have the picture you asked for." said Spencer as he showed a picture that Olivia took of him, Piper, and Albert.

"I just can't believe how big they are getting." said Hotch.

"I know, and Piper's going to be halfway from turning three next week." said Spencer.

"Is there anything special that my goddaughter wants for Christmas?" asked Hotch.

"After you took Piper to the zoo last week, she asked me if she could get a pet monkey for Christmas." said Spencer.

Hotch chuckled.

"She asked me the same thing too." said Hotch.

At that moment there was a knock on the door, and Spencer quickly made his way over to the door to see that it was Rossi.

"May I speak to Aaron alone?" asked Rossi.

"Sure." said Spencer as he left Hotch's office.

* * *

An hour later Spencer was sitting at the conference table with his teammates.

"Ok, crime fighters, we have a triple homicide in Salt Lake City, Utah. A couple, Ron and Karen Myerson were found shot to death in their home 4 hours ago. Several hours before that, a security guard was found stabbed to death at a small office building." said Garcia.

"And let me guess- the gun used to shoot the couple belonged to the security guard." said Morgan.

"Get your mug out 'cause coffee is for closers." said Garcia.

"No sign of a break-in or forced entry. Maybe the couple knew the unsub. This could be personal." said JJ.

"That could mean that the couple were his intended targets." said Kate as she looked at JJ.

"But it wouldn't have taken him hours to get to their house. What was he doing in the meantime?" asked Spencer.

"Watching the couple, conducting surveillance, or he encountered them earlier and was torturing them." said Rossi.

"But the M.E. and the police both say there was no evidence they were held for any length of time." said Hotch.

"One thing is clear. Both crime scenes look chaotic. This unsub is disorganized." said JJ.

"The chaos could mean that this unsub is either psychotic or under some time pressure. And improvising." said Morgan.

"And if he can't decompress, he may feel killing's his only option. We may be looking at a spree. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch as he closed up his file and left the room.

A minute later Spencer was at his desk calling Olivia.

"A case?" asked Olivia.

"Salt Lake City, Utah." said Spencer.

Olivia put her phone on speaker and Spencer smiled when he heard Piper's voice.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hi daddy." said Ava.

"Daddy has to go away for a few days, and I want you three to be good for mommy and grandpa because Santa is watching over you three monkeys." said Spencer.

"OK daddy." sighed Piper.

"Bye bye daddy." said Albert.

"Bye bye daddy." said Ava.

"Please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I will try, but I have to get going so I love all of you." said Spencer, and after he heard Olivia and the kids tell him that they love him he hung up.

* * *

"Assuming the kills are personal, what do we know about Ron and Karen Myerson?" asked Rossi.

"Both in their 40s. Ron was the manager of a sports bar, Karen a dental assistant." said Spencer.

"They had some financial problems. Maxed out 4 credit cards." said Morgan.

"Ron took out a payday loan last week. They were living on the brink." said JJ.

"Ron's been to Reno 4 times in the last few months." said Garcia.

Spencer thought about his cousin who lives in Reno.

"He may have a gambling problem, but if he owes someone money, does that make this a hit?" asked Kate.

"But would a professional killer murder a security guard for a weapon?" asked Hotch.

"Well, based on the disorganization of the kills, I for one would not be surprised if this was a crime of passion." said Rossi.

Hotch gave assignments for when they land.

* * *

"Even without gambling problems, I can see how they maxed out 4 credit cards. This couple likes nice things." said Kate as they walked through Ron and Karen's Myerson's house.

"Something valuable could have been stolen and the police wouldn't necessarily know." said Spencer.

Kate opened a door to reveal a safe.

"State of the art. We should check their insurance list." said Kate.

Spencer looked at the crime scene photos before looking at the floor.

"The couple was found over here. They were both shot in the chest. Which means the unsub was standing right about here." said Spencer before looking towards the backyard, "He came in from the backyard."

A minute later Spencer and Kate were walking in the backyard, and as soon as Spencer noticed some dug up holes he knelt down by them.

"Well, talk about a bad gopher problem." said Kate.

Spencer scooped up a bit of dirt.

"These holes were dug recently. Look at the dirt." said Spencer as he rubbed the dirt between his fingers.

"What were they digging for, buried treasure?" asked Kate.

"Why would the Myersons bury anything in their yard, judging by the safe in their house?" asked Spencer as he stood up to his full height.

"So it had to be the unsub. Came looking for something, got surprised when they came home early." said Kate.

"Killed them, and then based on what JJ said, spent another hour trying to find what he was looking for." said Spencer as he looked at the holes again.

"How did he know there was something buried back here?" asked Kate.

"We've been saying this crime felt personal. What if the unsub used to live here? We should have Garcia pull a list of prior residents." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was sitting in the back seat of an SUV wearing his Kevlar vest as he, Morgan, and JJ headed towards Benton's father's house.

"All right, copy that, Rossi. We'll go talk to Benton's father." said Morgan.

JJ, who was reading some articles spoke up.

"This is awful. Miriam, the sister, was a 29-year-old single mom of two young kids when she was killed." said JJ.

"How did Benton only serve 12 years for such a heinous crime?" asked Spencer.

"Well, it was a combination of his age and willingness to testify against Amelia Porter. Ultimately the jury felt he was a sensitive boy who was unduly influenced by an older dominant woman." said JJ.

"How did Amelia manage to escape?" asked Morgan.

"She fled into the wilderness. Her father was a survivalist, so she learned outdoor skills from him." said JJ.

"Has anyone seen her since then?" asked Spencer as he thought about the outdoor skills he learned to survive in the desert.

"That's a good question." said Morgan as he patched in Garcia.

"Garcia's the name, 411's the game." said Garcia.

"Hey, mama, any confirmed sightings of Amelia Porter uh... in the last 12 years?" asked Morgan.

Yeah. One 10 years ago. Oh. And one 5 years ago. Both in Canada. One in Vancouver, the latest one in the northern territories. But when authorities got there, she was nowhere to be found." said Garcia.

"The Northwest Territories are hard to get to and therefore an easy place to hide." said Spencer.

"Assuming Benton has a male partner with him, does he have any old friends here he could have reconnected with?" asked JJ.

Garcia did some typing.

"Uh-uh. When he was a teen, he was a total loner. That's probably the reason why Amelia Porter was able to get him under her thumb so good." said Garcia.

"All right, we need to look for connections he may have had in jail." said Morgan as he hung up before pulling over and a few seconds later they were getting out of the SUV. Morgan looked at his two youngest coworkers as they pulled their guns out of their holsters, "Heads up, guys, I got a real bad feeling about this."

A few seconds later Spencer was clearing the house with Morgan and JJ.

"Clear!" shouted Spencer.

"Clear." shouted JJ.

A few seconds later Spencer met up with JJ and Morgan looking at a body.

"Guys, over here." said Morgan before calling for back up.

* * *

Hotch approached Spencer, JJ, and Morgan as Oren's body was carted away.

"The victim is Benton's father, Oren Farland." said Hotch.

"You know, this could have been the first kill, the one that triggered the others." said Spencer.

Detective Shah looked at Spencer, Hotch, Morgan, and JJ.

"Oren lived here with his grandchildren, Andy and Rebecca." said Hotch.

"The grandchildren are missing." said Hotch.

"Are these the kids of the sister who got murdered?" asked JJ.

"Yeah." said Detective Shah.

"So what was he after coming out here?" asked Morgan.

Spencer looked at his teammates and Detective Shah.

"Think about it. Benton was 17 when he went to prison. Imagine you're incarcerated for 12 years and have just been released. Where do you go?" asked Spencer.

"Home." answered Hotch.

"You have $40 left after buying a bus ticket with your prison release money. You have no skills to help you survive in the real world, no friends, nowhere to turn but family. Who knows how they'll feel about seeing you again, but, really, what choice do you have?" asked Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was standing at the dining room table.

"The kids sat here. Oren sat at the head of the table, which means Benton sat right there." said Spencer as he thought about the placement at his dining room table when it comes to six people living under one roof.

"Benton wasn't sitting very close to Oren, which means he wasn't exactly welcome." said JJ.

"Then why invite him to stay?" asked Spencer.

"Probably to appease him, so he'd go away peacefully and leave them alone." said Morgan.

"That obviously didn't happen. So what went wrong?" asked JJ.

"Oren couldn't contain his anger. He stood up, threatened Benton, who then stabbed him with the steak knife." said Spencer.

JJ, who was looking at the land line spoke up.

"I think I know what happened to the kids." said JJ.

A few minutes later Spencer, Morgan, and JJ were briefing Hotch and Detective Shah.

"Benton probably took the kids as an insurance policy." said JJ.

"After he murdered his father, he knew the police wouldn't believe him, so he had to go on the run." said Spencer.

Morgan's cellphone rang.

"Hey, what you got, baby girl?" asked Morgan.

"I've confirmed it wasn't a random thing that Benton Farland showed up at that office where the security guard was killed, because Andy Farland has a therapist named Dr. Pelman who works there." said Garcia.

"How long was Andy in therapy?" asked Morgan.

"Uh, 3 years. He was having trouble in school." said Garcia.

"That's not a surprise, given his mother was murdered by his Uncle." said JJ.

"Garcia, did Andy have any contact with Benton when he was in prison?" asked Spencer.

"Uh-huh. Unfortunately, yes. All of it the last two years. He visited him twice, wrote him 3 letters." said Garcia.

"Contact with Benton may have humanized him. Instead of fearing him, Andy might actually have empathy for him." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer stood outside with JJ giving the profile to the press.

"He's armed and dangerous and he's already killed 4 victims." said JJ.

"Benton is most likely traveling in his father's automobile. It's a 1993 gold Volvo, license plate number 631 ZFG." said Spencer.

"We believe he's with his niece and nephew, Andy and Rebecca." said JJ as she and Spencer took turns speaking before she spoke again, "We cannot emphasize enough how volatile this situation is. One wrong move could result in more deaths." finished JJ.

* * *

Spencer was walking with JJ towards the latest victim.

"It's amazing Andy survived, considering how lethal Benton has been." said JJ.

"He's either incredibly lucky or he was allowed to live." said Spencer.

"Hopefully we'll be able to get some answers from him soon." said JJ as they approached the body.

"No cell phone or I.D. in the woman's purse." said Detective Shah.

"What do you think? She another hostage?" asked JJ.

"It's too many people for Benton to control. I think she was a good Samaritan that stopped to help with the crash, Benton killed her and took her car." said Spencer as he placed his hands in his jacket pockets.

"We searched a 100-yard perimeter. There's no sign of Rebecca Farland." said Detective Shah.

"So there's a good chance he has her and that she's still alive." said JJ.

"If that's the case, what's he holding her for?" asked Spencer.

* * *

Spencer got off the phone with the prison warden as JJ, Kate, and Detective Shah walked towards him.

"Thank you so much." said Spencer before hanging up the land line and looked at Kate, JJ, and Detective Shah," I just spoke to the prison warden. Benton managed to stay a loner behind bars. He never affiliated with any groups or made friends with other prisoners."

"That's not easy to do for 12 years. Most people have an instinct for a social connection." said JJ.

"Maybe he had one." said Kate.

"I'm not following." said Detective Shah.

"Well, he didn't need any social connections when he was in prison because he already had one. Amelia Porter." said Kate as she looked at the picture.

"Except she's somewhere in Canada sleeping among the moose and bears." said Detective Shah.

"People also have a natural instinct to return home." said Spencer as he thought about when he, Olivia, and the kids go on vacation it's always to Las Vegas to visit his mom, aunt, and uncle.

"Yeah, and Benton did." said JJ.

"Yeah, maybe Amelia came home." said Kate.

"I'm going to have Garcia look for women in their 40s who appeared in the area in the last 5 years with little or no history before that." said Spencer and grabbed the land line just as Detective Shah approached them.

"Two hikers in the mountains may have spotted the suspect and his niece about 30 minutes ago." said Detective Shah.

* * *

Spencer was heading towards the possible Amelia with Rossi and Kate as they were patched through with the others.

"You know, something's been bothering me. If Benton always intended to meet Amelia after his release, why did he go home first?" asked Spencer.

"Good question. It wasn't just to take revenge on dad." said Rossi.

"It wasn't until after he was on the run that he went to Amelia Porter's old house. Like he was improvising." said Kate.

"Ok, here's a radical thought. What if Amelia wasn't the dominant one? What if it was really Benton?" asked JJ.

"The prosecutors called her a femme fatale, always dating younger men." said Garcia.

"It could have been that she herself was immature. Her parents described her as shy and naive. Only Benton called her manipulative." said Rossi.

"She never killed anyone before or after Miriam as far as we know." said JJ.

"What's interesting is Amelia was 30 back then, and his sister was almost the same age at 29." said Morgan.

"Benton was always attracted to older women. The fantasy of raping and killing the sister could have been his." said Hotch.

"When Benton testified, he said that when his mother died when he was 9, Miriam became his entire world." said Garcia.

"He could've been obsessed with her. But Miriam was 21 with a life of her own. If she was absent a lot, that would've fueled both desire and rage in him." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Rossi pulled up at the house, and Spencer, Rossi, and Kate headed towards the house with their guns out. Before they knew it they were in the house, causing Benton to grab his niece and hold her at gunpoint.

"FBI! Drop the weapon!" shouted Rossi.

"You're not taking me with you." said Benton.

"He's crazy. He tried to force me to hurt her." cried Amelia.

"This coming from the woman who killed Miriam?" asked Benton.

"You are a madman." cried Amelia.

Spencer decided to set Amelia straight.

"And you're a fugitive from the law. We've been looking for you for 12 years, Amelia." said Spencer.

"It was him. It was always him." cried Amelia.

"Why did you run?" asked Kate.

"Who would believe me? Who would believe me over a 17-year-old boy?" asked Amelia.

Rossi looked at Benton.

"Put the gun down. Amelia's the one we want." said Rossi.

"She's the one we're after, and you led us to her. Your nephew Andy explained how everything happened, Benton. We know none of this was your fault." said Spencer as he worked on talking Benton down while keeping an eye on Amelia.

"He's alive?" asked Benton.

"He's in the hospital." said Spencer.

Rebecca sobbed with relief.

"Thank God." said Benton.

"Let her go, Benton." ordered Kate.

Amelia tried to run causing Spencer to grab her as Benton shot himself while Spencer kept a tight hold on Amelia as he watched his two coworkers check on Rebecca and Benton.

* * *

Spencer and Kate were walking on either side of Rebecca as they took her to her brother, and when they reached Andy's room they couldn't help but smile as they watched the brother and sister hug each other as they cried. A minute later they were heading to the exit when Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from Olivia.

AVA DOESN'T NEED GLASSES. ~ OR

Kate looked at Spencer.

"Everything OK?" asked Kate.

"Olivia was just letting me know that Ava doesn't need glasses." said Spencer.

"Speaking of kids, I'm so ready to go home and hug Meg." said Kate.

"I'm eager to hug Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Spencer.

A few minutes later they were meeting up with Rossi, and an hour later they were flying home.

* * *

Spencer quietly entered the house, and after checking on his sleeping kids he quietly crept into the master bedroom. As he was getting ready for his shower he didn't hear the bathroom door open.

"Have room for one more?" asked Olivia.

Spencer turned around and smiled tiredly at his wife.

"There's always room for you, Livy." said Spencer.

A grinning Olivia quickly undressed herself before she and Spencer stepped into the shower.

"Do you have to go in tomorrow?" asked Olivia.

"No work tomorrow since we had to pull an all-nighter due to two missing teenagers, but we did catch a fugitive who was on the run for over 12 years." said Spencer.

"Then you're sleeping in so you can catch up on sleep." said Olivia as she embraced her husband and kissed him fully on the lips as warm water continued to hit them.

* * *

The following morning Spencer woke up to kisses from three toddlers before he reached for his glasses. After slipping them on he saw that it was already 8:30 AM and that Piper, Albert, and Ava who were already dressed for the day as he sat up in bed.

"When did you guys get here?" asked Spencer as he hugged and kissed all three toddlers.

"Mommy help us up, sleepy head." said Piper.

Spencer's stomach growled, and Piper looked at her daddy.

"Mommy's making innamon rolls." said Piper.

"Then let's go downstairs." said Spencer as he helped Piper, Albert, and Ava get out of bed before getting out of bed himself and pulled on his robe before putting his feet into slippers.

A minute later Spencer was in the kitchen and smiled softly at his wife.

"Thank you for letting me sleep in." said Spencer.

"You're welcome honey." said Olivia as she pecked her husband on the lips before going to check on the oven, "The cinnamon rolls are done."

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava were all enjoying cinnamon rolls while talking about the plans they had for the day.

* * *

 _A/N: Even though Piper's now wearing glasses, wearing glasses is not going to stop her from doing gymnastics since she's going to be starting gymnastics in the upcoming chapters._


	44. Christmas and New Years

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 43.

Sorry that this chapter is shorter, but I promise that the next chapter will be longer since it will be about The Forever People.

* * *

Spencer looked at Olivia and the kids as he helped clean up from breakfast.

"You guys are coming with me to the BAU to see your aunts and uncles since some of them are going away for Christmas." said Spencer.

"Yay!" chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Should we take separate vehicles so you have a ride home?" asked Olivia.

"Yes." said Spencer.

Piper looked at her daddy.

"Daddy?" asked Piper.

"Yes?" asked Spencer.

"Can I pwease ride with you?" asked Piper.

Spencer looked at his oldest daughter.

"Sure you can, Sweetie." said Spencer.

A few minutes later, Spencer and Olivia were helping their kids get their winter jackets and boots on before they pulled on their jackets.

* * *

Spencer, Olivia, and the kids exited the elevator, and as soon as he opened up the glass doors for his family, Piper sprinted towards her godmother right away.

"Auntie JJ!" shouted Piper,

JJ looked up from her work and grinned when she saw her goddaughter running towards her with Spencer and Olivia trailing behind Piper with the twins on their hips.

"Well look at you, Piper." said JJ as she scooped up her goddaughter and hugged her.

Kate looked at Piper and took in the light curly brown hair that was covered with a winter hat and Piper's purple polka dot glasses in front of brown eyes that match her father's.

"Your daddy showed me a picture of you in your new glasses, but I have to say that they look much prettier on you in person." said Kate.

"Tank you." said Piper.

Garcia came into the bullpen and instantly grinned when she saw Olivia and three toddlers who were being held by Spencer, Olivia, and JJ.

"Out of my way since there are three cute toddlers who need to be given hugs and kisses from their favorite Auntie Penelope." said Garcia.

A few seconds later Garcia was hugging and kissing Piper, Albert, and Ava before looking at Spencer who was draping his navy blue pea coat over his desk chair.

"Can I please take them home with me?" pleaded Garcia.

"No." said Spencer and Olivia in unison.

At that moment everyone heard Rossi's voice.

"Some of my favorite children are here right now." said Rossi as he stepped out of Hotch's office with Hotch.

"Uncle Aaron." squealed Piper as she sprinted to her godfather who eagerly scooped her up.

"Excited about Christmas?" asked Hotch.

"Yes." said Piper as she started talking to her godfather.

Ava ran over to Rossi who scooped up the little girl who caught his heart after Strauss's murder.

"How is one of my favorite bella ragazzas doing?" asked Rossi as he kissed the youngest Reid on both cheeks causing Ava to giggle before looking at Spencer and Olivia as he settled Ava on his hip, "How has occupational therapy been going for her?"

Olivia looked at Rossi.

"She's doing very well." said Olivia.

At that moment Morgan came into the bullpen.

"No one even texted me to tell me that my godchildren are here?" asked Morgan.

Albert ran over to Morgan who scooped him up right away before unzipping Albert's winter jacket so he could get a look at his godson's outfit.

"Your father has definitely brainwashed you if he's dressing you just like him." said Morgan as he took in the sight of Albert wearing a long sleeved dress shirt, a sweater vest and khakis just like his father currently was.

Olivia glared at Morgan.

"I was the one to dress my son this morning, and I'm happy that my baby boy looks just like his daddy." said Olivia as she winked at her husband before pecking him on the lips.

Albert smiled at his mommy, causing Olivia to take her baby boy away from his godfather.

"You definitely have the smile that caused me to fall in love with your daddy." said Olivia as she kissed her son on the cheek.

"Mommy." smiled Albert before he decided to give his mother an Eskimo kiss.

"Was that an Eskimo kiss?" asked Olivia as she gave Albert an Eskimo kiss before tickling the 18 month old toddler's tummy.

"Yes." giggled Albert.

Olivia looked at the clock before looking her husband.

"I think that the kids and I need to let you get to work." said Olivia as she zipped up her son's winter jacket before taking Ava from Rossi.

"Please let me help you get the kids into the SUV." said Spencer before looking at Piper, "Want a piggy back ride?"

"Yes, daddy." said Piper.

Hotch got Piper situated on Spencer's back, and as soon as Spencer had a firm hold on his oldest daughter, he and Olivia headed towards the glass doors with their kids.

* * *

Two days later Spencer gathered with his teammates in the conference room, and Hotch looked at his agents.

"Even though I won't be seeing a few of you on Christmas Day, I hope that you all have a great Christmas with your families." said Hotch.

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Piper's excited about you and Jack coming over for Christmas Day dinner." said Spencer.

"Jack's excited too." said Hotch.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Are you and your family going to Christmas Day Mass?" asked Rossi.

"We are." said Spencer.

"I'm already planning on going to Christmas Day Mass too since Father Davison has been pressuring me to come to Mass that day." said Rossi.

"Would you like to share a pew with my family and I?" asked Spencer.

"I will sit with you and your family as long as Little Miss Ava Reid gets to sit on my lap." said Rossi.

"Deal." said Spencer.

Kate looked at Rossi as she thought about all the interactions she has witnessed between Ava and Rossi.

"Why are you giving Ava extra attention?" asked Kate.

"I instantly fell in love with Ava the first time I held her even though it was a few days since Erin's death." said Rossi.

"The former section chief?" asked Kate.

Everyone nodded before Hotch looked at the clock.

"Since it's 4:30 right now, why don't we all head out early." said Hotch.

* * *

On December 22nd, Spencer smiled when he saw his aunt Ethel, uncle Gordon, Andrew, Joanna, and Rachel come towards him.

"Did everyone have a nice flight?" asked Spencer as he hugged his extended family.

"We did, and we just need to rent a minivan to get us through our five day stay here." said Gordon.

"Well let me help you guys with your bags, and let's just say that my three are excited about you five visiting." said Spencer.

Rachel's eyes went wide when she saw the snow, and Spencer looked at his second cousin.

"Piper's excited about getting to play in the snow." said Spencer.

"I pway in snow?" asked Rachel.

"We will after nap time." said Spencer.

"Yay." said Rachel.

* * *

Spencer grinned when he finished stacking all three balls for the snowman.

"Let's decorate our snowman before we head inside for hot chocolate." said Spencer.

"Yay!" chorused Piper, Albert, Ava, and Rachel.

Spencer headed towards the patio table containing a box of decorations and he and Andrew helped the kids decorate the snowman before heading inside where Olivia, Joanna, and Ethel were making sugar cookies and making hot chocolate and Piper ran to her mommy.

"Did you see Olaf?" asked Piper.

"I did, sweet pea." said Olivia.

"Who wants hot chocolate?" asked Ethel as she poured hot chocolate into mugs.

"Me!" chorused Piper, Albert, Ava. and Rachel.

A few minutes later everyone was enjoying hot chocolate and sugar cookies before the adults decided that it could be a pizza night.

* * *

Two nights later Spencer closed the book and looked at all four toddlers who were sitting on the floor.

"It's time for bed." said Spencer.

"No." chorused Piper, Albert, Ava, and Rachel all at once.

"Santa's not going to come if you four are still awake." said Spencer.

At that moment all four toddlers scrambled off the floor, and 30 minutes after all four toddlers were asleep the adults started putting all the Christmas presents under the tree while taking care of the milk and cookies that were left for Santa.

"Now let's check on the kids before going to bed ourselves." said Spencer as he worked on putting out the fire he had started in the fire place.

Ethel looked at Spencer, Olivia, Joanna, William, and Gordon.

"Are we eating breakfast before opening up presents in the morning?" asked Ethel.

"Yes." said Spencer.

Ethel looked at William, Gordon, and Joanna.

"You three are going to help me make breakfast in the morning." said Ethel.

William, Gordon, and Joanna nodded and all seven adults said good night to each other before heading to their respective bedrooms after making sure that all four toddlers were asleep.

* * *

The following morning, Spencer and Olivia opened their eyes when they felt Piper on top of them, making them realize that Piper used the foot stool they placed in the bedroom for her.

"Merry Chistmas." said Piper.

Spencer reached for his glasses and slipped them on to see that Piper was already wearing her glasses, meaning that someone woke her up.

"Merry Christmas." said Spencer as he hugged and kissed his oldest daughter.

"We open pesents now?" asked Piper.

"We need to see if everyone else is awake first, and we need to eat breakfast first before opening presents." said Spencer.

"OK, daddy." sighed Piper.

10 minutes later the family of five entered the kitchen where William, Gordon, Ethel, and Joanna were already making Christmas tree pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and shredded hash browns.

"Everything smells good." said Spencer as he took in the sight of all the food being made, "You expect us to eat all of that?"

Ethel looked at her nephew.

"With the job you work, Spencer, sometimes I'm worried about you getting enough to eat." said Ethel.

Olivia poked at her husband's belly.

"Sometimes I'm jealous of your metabolism, but luckily all the healthy eating and exercising I got you to do made your metabolism wear off quite a bit." smirked Olivia.

Spencer playfully glared at his wife before whispering in her ear.

"You're so going to get it when our guests leave, Mrs. Reid." whispered Spencer.

Olivia started blushing and William looked at his son.

"There are children here." said a smirking William as he got Ava into her booster seat.

"Sorry." said Spencer and Olivia in unison as they got Piper and Albert into their booster seats.

"Are Andrew and Rachel awake yet?" asked Joanna.

"Andrew was helping Rachel go to the bathroom when we checked on them." said Olivia.

Andrew came downstairs with his two year old daughter, and Rachel looked at Spencer.

"Hi unca Pencer." said Rachel.

Spencer looked at his cousin.

"You want my second cousin to call me uncle Spencer?" asked Spencer.

"You're practically a big brother to me, and Joanna's an only child so we told Rachel last night to start calling you uncle Spencer." said Andrew.

"I will be honored." said Spencer as he hugged his cousin.

"Can we pwease eat now?" asked Piper.

At that moment Ethel, William, Joanna, and Gordon were setting breakfast onto the table, and a few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, Gordon, Ethel, Andrew, Joanna, Piper, Rachel, Albert, and Ava were all eating their breakfast, knowing that there were four toddlers who were excited to open up presents.

* * *

Piper's, Albert's, Ava's, and Rachel's eyes went wide when they saw all the presents under the Christmas tree.

"Wow." said Piper.

Gordon looked at his son and nephew.

"Let me take charge of passing out gifts." said Gordon.

"OK." said Spencer.

A minute later everyone was starting to open their gifts.

* * *

Piper grinned when she saw Rossi waiting inside for them.

"Papa Dave." said Piper as she ran over to Rossi.

"Merry Christmas, Piper." said Rossi.

"Tank you." said Piper as her daddy helped her remove her winter jacket, revealing her Christmas dress.

"Now that's a pretty dress you're wearing." said Rossi before noticing that Ava and Rachel were both wearing the same dress as Piper, "You three are all dressed alike."

"I made them myself." said Ethel as she thought about how glad she is to use her home economics degree for her great nieces and great nephew.

Rossi scooped up Ava.

"Now there's my favorite Uccello." said Rossi as he kissed Ava on the cheeks.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"We should probably do one more bathroom break before claiming a pew." said Olivia as she took in the sight of pews filling up.

Spencer collected Albert from Olivia.

"I do Albert while you, aunt Ethel, and Joanna do Piper, Rachel, and Ava?" asked Spencer.

"That will work." said Olivia as she lifted Piper while Ethel took Ava from Rossi.

10 minutes later the Reid family, Rossi, Gordon, Andrew, Joanna, and Rachel were in a pew together with Piper on Spencer's lap, Albert on Olivia's lap, Ava on Rossi's, lap, and Rachel on Andrew's lap before the service started five minutes later.

* * *

Later that afternoon Spencer was helping his kids bundle up, and after getting his winter gear on he looked at Hotch and Andrew who were getting Jack and Rachel ready.

"Ready?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Hotch.

Spencer, Andrew, and Hotch were in the backyard with Jack, Piper, Albert, Ava, and Rachel, and Piper looked at her daddy.

"Build a fort." said Piper.

"OK." said Spencer as he thought about the snowball fight that could happen.

Jack looked at his daddy.

"Can we build a fort?" asked Jack.

"Sure." said Hotch as he and Spencer exchanged glances.

"Snowball fight?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Hotch.

At that moment Sam came outside.

"Penelope ordered me to come join you guys." said Sam

Hotch looked at Sam.

"You can be on my team since I can't split Spencer up from his cousin." said Hotch.

At that moment Spencer and Andrew were helping Piper, Albert, Ava, and Rachel build a fort while Sam, Hotch, and Jack worked on building a fort together, and an hour later after two forts and a lot of snowballs were made the twins went inside due to being cold, allowing the snowball fight to start.

* * *

Hotch scowled when a snowball hit his chest, and shook his head when he saw Spencer victoriously raising his arms in the air.

"BULLS-EYE!" shouted Spencer.

"Better watch out Reid!" shouted Hotch as he grabbed a snowball and threw it in the direction of Spencer who quickly ducked before the snowball hit him.

"I KNOW ALL OF YOUR MOVES, HOTCHNER!" shouted Spencer as he came up and quickly threw a snowball at Hotch that hit its target again before the two cousins gave each other a high five before resuming the war.

* * *

Meanwhile by the patio door, Olivia, Joanna, and Garcia were all laughing as they recorded the snowball fight that was happening with Spencer, Andrew, Piper, and Rachel going against Hotch, Jack, and Sam while Albert and Ava played with their grandfather in the living room when Rossi approached them and laughed when he saw another snowball that Spencer threw nailed Hotch again.

"Morgan's going to be upset that he missed this battle." said Rossi.

"That's why I'm filming it so Derek, JJ, and Kate could see the battle." said Garcia.

"At least my husband is a high school physics teacher and having a cousin who became one of the FBI's best shots over the years helps." said Joanna as she watched a snowball that her husband threw nail Sam again.

* * *

15 minutes later, Piper looked at her daddy.

"I have to go potty." said Piper.

"Me too." said Rachel.

Spencer looked over the fort.

"Two little girls both need to go to the bathroom so we need to halt this battle." said Spencer.

Spencer and Andrew scooped up their daughters just as Hotch, Jack, and Sam came out from behind their fort.

"We're done here since Jack's cold." said Hotch.

"Knowing my aunt, she's heating up hot chocolate right now." said Spencer as Spencer, Andrew, Hotch, Sam, Jack, Piper, and Rachel headed inside where they removed their wet winter jackets, hats, gloves, and boots before Spencer and Andrew took their daughters to the bathroom before meeting in the living room 10 minutes later to drink hot chocolate and eat sugar cookies.

"Your aim keeps improving every winter you spent out here." said Hotch as he looked at his youngest agent who was wrapped in a blanket with Piper to help keep her warm.

"I know." said Spencer as he pulled Piper closer to him.

"I filmed the snowball fight so Derek, JJ, and Kate can see the epic snowball fight." said Garcia as she played the video for Spencer, Andrew, Hotch, and Sam causing laughter as everyone watched the video before Rossi and Ethel came into the living room.

"Dinner will be done in 15 minutes, so everyone wash up." said Ethel.

At that moment everyone got up to wash up and help set the table, and 20 minutes later after Spencer led everyone in a prayer so they could eat their Christmas Day dinner.

* * *

Six days later Spencer, Olivia, and William participated in the countdown that they were watching on TV, and when it was midnight Spencer and Olivia locked their lips. After breaking out of their kiss, they made eye contact with each other.

"Happy new year." said Spencer.

"Happy new year." said Olivia.

"I just wonder what 2015 will bring us?" asked Spencer.

"Hopefully the good times will outweigh the bad." said Olivia.

"Like they always do, Livy." said Spencer.

* * *

 _A/N: Here are translations since Rossi spoke a little bit of Italian._

 _Bella ragazzas: pretty girls_

 _Uccello ~ bird_


	45. Olivia's 31 & The Forever People Part 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds_

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 44._

 _I'm going to have The Forever People be in two parts since I can't let Spencer get away from making a short visit with his mom, aunt, and uncle due to being not that far from Las Vegas._

 _I included a few deleted scenes from The Forever People since I have season 10 on DVD, and in this chapter there's a bit of foreshadowing about one of my plans for my future story Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Four that will deal with season 11 and most of season 12 (I'm not doing the Spencer going to jail storyline, but I'm still planning on having Diana get diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Dementia)._

* * *

Spencer looked at Piper, Albert, and Ava as they stood outside the bedroom door while he held a tray filled with breakfast.

"As soon as I open up this door, use the footstool to get onto the bed and wake up mommy." said Spencer quietly.

"OK daddy." said Piper.

Spencer gently opened the door, and 10 seconds later Olivia was waking up to three toddlers on top of her. As soon as she was fully awake she looked at her three babies.

"What are you guys doing in here?" asked Olivia as she hugged and kissed all three toddlers.

"Happy birtday mommy." said Piper as she, Albert, and Ava started giving their mother kisses.

At that moment Spencer entered the bedroom with the tray he was carrying.

"Happy birthday, Livy." said Spencer as he pecked Olivia on the lips, "The kids and I already ate."

Olivia noticed that her husband was dressed in his work attire.

"You have to go in today?" asked Olivia.

"All the other teams are out on cases right now, but it's only a paper work day unless there's an emergency case." said Spencer.

"Please feed me my breakfast, and then you should head to work so you're not late." said Olivia.

"Yes, my queen." said Spencer as he started feeding Olivia her breakfast before heading off to work.

* * *

Three hours later Spencer smiled when he got off the phone.

"Who were you talking to?" asked Kate.

"It's Olivia's 31st birthday today, and knowing her she's not going to complain about me spoiling her since we practically spoil each other when it's her birthday or my birthday." said Spencer.

"What did you do for her birthday so far?" asked Kate.

"Surprised her with breakfast in bed since she always does that for my birthday, and I got her another charm for the charm bracelet that I got her for her 28th birthday since I always add a charm when it's her birthday and Christmas." said Spencer before he returned to his pile of consults.

* * *

An hour later in Washington DC, there was a knock on the door and Olivia quickly answered it to see a flower delivery guy.

"Delivery for Mrs. Olivia Reid." said the delivery man.

"That's me." said Olivia as she signed the papers before taking the flower arrangement and closing the door.

Olivia set the flowers on the coffee table and she smiled when she read the note.

EVEN THOUGH I SPOILED YOU TODAY WITH BREAKFAST IN BED AND A NEW CHARM FOR YOUR CHARM BRACELET, I STILL HAD TO GET YOU YOUR FAVORITE FLOWERS AS ANOTHER BIRTHDAY PRESENT SO HERE ARE 31 ROSES FOR YOUR 31ST BIRTHDAY.

SPENCER REID

At that moment Piper came into the room and grinned when she saw the flowers.

"Pretty roses." said Piper before seeing her mother in tears, "Why you sad?"

Olivia looked at her oldest daughter.

"These are happy tears since your daddy sent me 31 roses for my 31st birthday today." said Olivia.

"Daddy go bye bye?" asked Piper.

"He hasn't gone bye bye yet, but if he has to he will always call and tell you, Albert, Ava, and me that he loves us." said Olivia.

"I don't like daddy going bye bye." said Piper.

Olivia pulled Piper onto her lap.

"When I met your daddy, I knew that he had a life before meeting me since he, your uncle Aaron, auntie JJ, auntie Penny, Papa Dave, aunt Kate, and uncle Morgan all wanted to help people by traveling the country to put very naughty people in very long time outs to save lives. But when he's home he makes sure to read and play with you, Albert, and Ava." said Olivia.

"I like it en daddy pway and read to me." said Piper before yawning.

"I say its nap time for you right now Sweet Pea, but when you wake up you can help me bake a cake that we will eat after dinner." said Olivia.

"Yay." said a tired Piper.

Olivia got off the couch and settled Piper onto her hip, and a few minutes later Piper was tucked into bed. She kissed a sleeping Piper's forehead.

"You, Albert, and Ava are some of the best gifts that your daddy has given me." whispered Olivia before leaving her oldest daughter's bedroom and quickly checked on Albert and Ava who were both taking naps before heading downstairs to get some housework done.

* * *

Over four hours later Spencer entered his house and smiled when he saw his packed go bag by the door before heading into the dining room where the kids were already sitting in their booster seats and Olivia and William were setting dinner on the table.

"Thank you for getting a go bag packed and dinner started when I called ahead." said Spencer.

"You're welcome, and at least you have time to eat dinner and have some cake before heading back to the office." said Olivia.

Piper realized that her daddy had to go bye bye.

"You go on case?" asked Piper.

"Yes, and uncle Aaron decided that I can come home to eat dinner and hug and kiss you, Albert, and Ava goodbye before I find out where I'm going." said Spencer as he gave each child a quick kiss on the head before sitting down and scooping his portion of baked chicken, peas, and mashed potatoes and gravy onto a plate. He started eating knowing that there's cake to be eaten to celebrate Olivia's birthday.

A half hour later Spencer looked at his family.

"I will contact you guys as soon as I know where I'm going." said Spencer as he gave his kids each a hug and kiss and told them he loves them and will miss them before he walked to the front door with Olivia.

"Please stay safe." said Olivia.

"I promise, and I'm sorry that we won't get to celebrate your birthday like we always do on yours and my birthday." said Spencer.

"We can have our own private celebration when you get back, so please stay safe." said Olivia as she gave her husband one last kiss.

"I promise." said Spencer before scooping up his go bag, walking out the front door and heading towards his car.

* * *

Two and a half hours later Spencer glanced at JJ's bandaged hand just as Morgan entered the room.

"Where are we flying to this time, mama?" asked Morgan.

"Boulder City, Nevada, my vision, home of the Hoover Dam, because police there found the body of a woman, wrapped and weighed down in the water. He apparently likes to freeze." said Garcia.

"I.D. yet?" asked Rossi.

"No, unfortunately." said Garcia.

"How long was she in the water?" asked Kate.

"Unclear. Her popsicleness made it hard to determine an M.O." said Garcia as she sat down.

"Are we sure this is the unsub and not just exposure?" asked Morgan.

"Her blood was frozen in her veins. Temperatures in the area don't get cold enough for that." said Hotch.

"Hoover Dam is not that far from Vegas. Could this be a hitman?" asked Rossi.

"No marks on her, though. Hitmen usually leave evidence of an efficient kill." said Kate.

"No, he did leave a mark." said JJ.

"Where?" asked Kate.

"Breastbone, above the heart. It's not frostbite. That's an electrical burn." said JJ as Garcia posted a bigger picture.

"Why introduce electroshock to the M.O.?" asked Morgan.

"Believe it or not, hypothermia is a rather pleasant way to die. The cold just kind of puts you to sleep." said Spencer as he thought about how cold he felt for awhile after the Hankel case.

"He wants to prolong what he's doing, so he jolts her back awake." said JJ.

"How did you catch all that?" asked Kate.

"I've seen it before." said JJ.

At that moment Hotch gave a departure time, and Spencer pulled out his phone to call Olivia.

"So where are you going?" asked Olivia.

"Boulder City, Nevada." said Spencer.

"If you have time, please take a drive to Las Vegas to visit your mom, aunt, and uncle." said Olivia.

"I promise, and can you please take care of letting uncle Gordon know about the possible visit?" asked Spencer.

"I sure can." said Olivia.

"I have to get going, and I will try to Skype in the morning." said Spencer before exchanging goodbyes with Olivia and hung up.

* * *

As they were heading to Boulder City, Spencer's phone vibrated and he saw a text from his uncle.

OLIVIA CALLED AND MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN BOULDER CITY. ~ GORDON

Spencer quickly replied.

I AM, AND AFTER THIS CASE I'M PLANNING ON TAKING YOU, MOM, AND AUNT ETHEL OUT TO BINIONS. ~ SR

A minute later his phone vibrated.

YOUR MOM'S IN TOWN SINCE I VISITED HER TODAY, AND JUST CALL AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GO TO BINIONS AND I WILL PICK UP YOUR MOM. ~ GORDON.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"We're about to start briefing." said Hotch.

"Just let me send a reply to uncle Gordon." said Spencer before typing a text message.

OK. ~ SR

Spencer pocketed his phone.

"Still no I.D. of the victim?" asked Rossi.

"Garcia's running her markers through ViCAP." said Hotch.

"This unsub went through a lot of trouble wrapping and weighing the body down. Usually it's postmortem gas production that brings a body to the surface, but if you freeze it, it'll rise to the top like ice cubes in a drink." said Spencer.

"So he's smart enough to consider the possibility, but not experienced enough to effectively execute the disposal. It's probably his first kill." said Morgan.

"If he went through this much trouble to hide the body, he knows it can be tied back to him." said JJ.

"Should be easy to find him once we learn who she is." said Kate.

"That'll be our first objective when we land. We should also build a suspect pool based on boat ownership." said Hotch before looking at the Nevada native who was sitting next to him, "How many boats are there on Lake Mead?"

Spencer's eyeballs went up as he calculated the amount of boats at the lake he went swimming at as a child.

"1,908." answered Spencer.

"Come on. You just know that?" asked Kate with disbelief showing in her voice.

"Yeah. There are 1,908 boats on Lake Mead." said Spencer.

Hotch watched the scene with interest since he knew not to question Spencer at all as Kate closed her file.

"Where did you get that number?" asked Kate.

"Based on the population density of the area, I...estimated." said Spencer as he noticed Rossi pull his phone out and start typing on the keyboard.

"You guessed." said Kate before looking at her teammates, "I mean, is this guy really a genius, or does he just say things with authority and we all believe him?"

Morgan thought back to when Elle joined the BAU when Spencer was 23.

"Oh, wow. Thank you. 10 years." said Morgan as he gave Kate a fist bump, "It took 10 years for someone to finally have my back." said Morgan before looking at Spencer, "All right, Einstein, she just called you out. Bring it."

Spencer raised his hands a bit while being a bit upset that his surrogate big brother was on Kate's side.

"Look it up." said Spencer.

Rossi looked up from his phone.

"I am... And the kid's right." said Rossi.

Morgan sighed as a smirking Spencer looked at Kate.

"I accept your apology." said Spencer before looking at Morgan and held out his fist, "Load up."

"Never." said Morgan.

A smirking Hotch surprised everyone by making a noise to alert Spencer before holding out his fist, and both smirking men connected their fists. A few seconds later both turned back to their files, and Morgan looked at Hotch who was still smirking.

"Were you on Reid's side the entire time?" asked Morgan.

"I was since I know better than to question Reid's abilities." said Hotch.

Spencer looked at Morgan and Kate.

"We're heading to a city that I have been to frequently in my home state. With Boulder City not being far from Las Vegas, I have gone camping, swimming, kayaking, and horseback riding by Lake Mead as a child and as an adult." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Thinking about a road trip after this case to visit your mom, aunt, and uncle?" asked Hotch.

"I already alerted my uncle about the possibility of visiting depending on how this case goes." said Spencer.

"And if we finish at a decent time, I will make sure that we stay behind for a few hours." said Hotch.

"Thank you." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer and JJ got into the elevator that would take them to the morgue, and when JJ pressed the button to close the elevator, Spencer finally decided to bring up her hand.

"What happened to your hand?" asked Spencer as he watched JJ continue to push the button.

"Henry broke a glass when I went home to pack." said JJ as she continued to press the button.

"You do know that the door close buttons on elevators actually don't work? It is to say, they work, but only for firefighters or rescue personnel that need to open or close the doors in emergency." said Spencer.

At that moment the door started to close and JJ looked at Spencer.

"You were saying?" asked JJ.

"That's the elevator timing, not because of you doing anything." said Spencer.

"Hmm." said JJ.

"The sociological term for this is a "placebo button". It describes a button that we feel compelled to push because we want the illusion of control over a situation that we basically have no control over. Its basically why I don't push 'em." said Spencer.

"And you're a germaphobe, and they're filthy." said JJ.

"Ugh." gagged Spencer before talking, "I honestly dry-heaved just thinking about it."

"Mm-hmm." said JJ as she nodded at Spencer.

"But I got over germs since I'm not afraid of kissing Olivia on the lips while knowing that I can't refuse to help take care of my kids when they're sick." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and JJ were at the ME looking at Sarah's body.

"Cloth fibers under her fingernails match her own torn clothing." said JJ.

"Paradoxical undressing. When your core temperature reaches 85 degrees, your constricted blood vessels suddenly dilate, producing the sensation of extreme heat. You tear your clothing off even though you're freezing to death." said Spencer.

"What if what the unsub is doing is like the cold water experiments at Dachau?" asked JJ.

"The Nazis wanted to see how long concentration camp victims could survive in the cold and then apply those findings to their own soldiers. How is this the same?" asked Spencer.

"It's a test. He wants to see how long you can take it." said JJ as she pointed at a burn, "All right, there's the electrical burns. The ice has melted enough to show us the matching mark."

"Left anterior axillary line. Is this-" said Spencer.

"Yeah." said JJ as she mimicked using a defibrillator, "Clear. It looks like multiple resuscitations. Scar tissue says this was done over weeks, but there's no signs of restraints or binds. She went into that freezer voluntarily." said JJ as Spencer's phone rang and he saw a text from Hotch "Why would she want this?"

Spencer looked at JJ.

"Hotch needs us." said Spencer.

Ok. I'm right behind you. I'm just gonna wait for the final M.E. report." said JJ.

Spencer nodded and left the room as he thought about what could be up with JJ since he noticed how distant she was being while sensing a lie about why her hand is bandaged before remembering that it was nearing the one year anniversary of her abduction.

* * *

Spencer stood by the conference table with his teammates sans JJ.

"So if Sarah Rhodes had a son, what exactly do we know about the father?" asked Spencer as he thought about his own kids who were waiting back in Washington DC for him.

"Only that she didn't list one, or ever get married." said Kate.

"The kid seemed to fall off the grid the same time she did." said Morgan.

"All right, this is now a missing child case, too." said Hotch before looking at Spencer, "Reid, you and JJ go to Arizona as soon as possible. Find Sarah Rhodes trail back here." said Hotch before noticing the missing team member, "Where's JJ?"

"She told me that she's waiting for the results." said Spencer before yawning.

"The trip to Arizona can wait until morning since we all need some sleep as soon as JJ gets back." said Hotch.

* * *

The following morning Spencer smiled when he saw the smiling faces of Olivia and his kids on his laptop.

"Good morning." said Spencer.

"Morning Spencer." said Olivia.

"Good morning daddy." said Piper.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hi daddy." said Ava.

"Ere you go for your case daddy?" asked Piper.

"I'm in Boulder City, Nevada." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at her husband.

"Did you talk to Aaron about a road trip when you're done in Boulder City?" asked Olivia.

"I have, and depending on when I finish up in Boulder City I will be driving out to Las Vegas for a few hours to visit mom, aunt Ethel, and uncle Gordon." said Spencer.

"I want to see Nana." pouted Piper.

Spencer shook his head when he saw his oldest daughter pout like him.

"I can have your grandma and I video chat with you guys if I see her." said Spencer.

"Yay." said Piper, Albert, and Ava in unison.

Spencer saw his teammates coming into the restaurant.

"Daddy has to get going." said Spencer.

"Love you daddy." said Piper.

"Wuv you daddy." said Albert.

"Wuv you daddy." said Ava.

"I love all four of you." said Spencer before signing off when his teammates approached the table he was at.

"Talked to Olivia and the kids?" asked Morgan.

Spencer smiled at the mention of his wife and kids.

"I did, and I when I told the kids that I'm going to try and see my mom after this case you guys should have seen her pout." said Spencer.

"With Piper having your eyes and pout she's definitely going to be a master manipulator just like you when she grows up." joked Morgan.

"I know, but I promised her that if I see my mom I will make sure to Skype so she can see her grandma's face." said Spencer.

Kate looked at Spencer.

"Have you ever thought of transferring your mom to a hospital closer to DC?" asked Kate.

"Olivia and I have talked to my mom about it after finding out about the twins, but for now she wants to stay in Las Vegas since she likes the warm weather and milder winters here." said Spencer, not knowing that at the end of the year his mom is going to beg to be moved closer to him, Olivia, and the kids after she gets diagnosed with a disease that will eventually cause her to forget everyone she loves.

Morgan looked at Kate.

"You should have seen Reid complain about the cold and snow during his first winter in DC." said Morgan.

"At least I eventually learned how to adapt in DC, and I ended up helping Olivia adapt too, since she grew up in Arizona." said Spencer before looking at JJ who was staying quiet, "Speaking of Arizona, after we're done eating we're heading to Arizona to follow Sarah's trail."

"OK." said JJ.

At that moment a waitress came over to take everyone's orders, and a few minutes later Rossi looked at the Nevada native.

"Would you mind telling us about some of your exploits from the times you spent by Lake Mead?" asked Rossi.

"Sure." said Spencer as he started telling his teammates stories about the trips he has taken to Lake Mead until their food arrived.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer and JJ were in Kingman, Arizona, and Spencer opened the door to Sarah's apartment.

"Thank you for agreeing to talk to us about Sarah." said Spencer.

"Sure. We were good friends through our kids for a while." said Lizzy as JJ closed the door.

"Right now there's an Amber alert out on Bobby, and we're attempting to find the father. Let me ask you this- do you think there's any-" asked Spencer.

"He's not in the picture. Never has been. She never even told me his name." said Lizzy.

"So why'd she leave this condo and move to Nevada without selling it?" asked JJ.

"I wish I knew. One day she told me she was gonna join a mom group just to get some support. Then, bam, she was gone. I could barely get her on the phone. When I did, she acted like it was a privilege to talk to her." said Lizzy.

"Did she talk about the new life path she'd found and that she couldn't really explain it to you because you weren't worthy?" asked JJ.

"How did you know?" asked Lizzy.

"The autopsy revealed something very specific. Whoever had Sarah flooded her system with sugar and electrolytes, but they starved her of proteins. When you don't have protein in your diet, you can't think straight. It's a common tool used in psychological conditioning." said Spencer as he thought about how Olivia increased protein in his diet when they started dating.

"Psychological..." asked Lizzy.

"Brainwashing." said Spencer.

"She didn't join a mom group, did she?" asked Lizzy.

Spencer shook his head no before looking at JJ.

"No. She joined a cult." said JJ.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer and JJ were back in Boulder City to help present the profile.

"Based on the physical evidence and the psychological profile of Sarah Rhodes, we believe that a cult operating in the area is responsible for killing her." started Hotch.

"There aren't any cults around here." said Detective Charmers.

"Most people think that, but conservative estimates put cult membership at two million people in the United States. Most of them, like this one, are underground to avoid scrutiny." said JJ.

"The nature of cults is that they are organized around a charismatic psychopath. This many will be superficially intelligent and charming." said Kate.

"Like Jim Jones at Jonestown and Tony Alamo and Alamo Ministries or Charles Dederich in Synanon, this man will have convinced his followers to sublimate their needs for his own... To the point of self-harm or even suicide." said Spencer.

"He preys upon disenfranchised men and women who need help in their daily lives. Sarah Rhodes needed help being a single mom. As of now, we believe her son Bobby is still inside the group." said Morgan.

"The way cults work is they break you down both physically and mentally, usually through isolation and deprivation." said Rossi.

"We believe that this cult has found a way to speed that up through a near-death experience." said Kate.

"They lock their members in a giant freezer to induce hypothermia, then they resuscitate them." said Spencer.

"Why hypothermia?" asked Detective Charming.

"The last stage of cold-induced shock is euphoria, an almost dreamy elation before you fall asleep. When members regain consciousness, they feel like they've been born again. The reality is, they almost died." said Spencer as he thought about when Hankel resuscitated him.

"Focus your search on hospital records for patients who suffered from frostbite. We believe that Sarah Rhodes isn't the first victim that this group has harmed. Thank you." finished Hotch.

As officers walked away, Spencer glanced worriedly at JJ while making a mental note to talk to her when they were alone.

* * *

A few hours later Hotch looked at Spencer after Morgan and Kate left the room.

"Do you think you can find JJ for me and let her know what's going on?" asked Hotch.

"Sure." said Spencer before leaving the room and sitting outside the ladies room for JJ.

Over 24 minutes later Spencer looked at JJ as she exited the woman's bathroom.

"Hey." said Spencer as he stood up.

"Oh. Ok. Hi, what's up?" asked JJ.

"Uh, Garcia found a frostbite victim, admitted to the hospital 3 years ago, by the name of Tom Fallon. Completely off the grid, just like Sarah, but his mother Mary still lives in town." said Spencer.

"Great. Let's go." said JJ as she tried to walk away before Spencer stopped her.

"Kate and Morgan already went when we couldn't find you. Which is why I've been waiting here for 24 minutes and 18 seconds, so that maybe we can finally talk about what's wrong." said Spencer.

JJ smiled.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." said JJ.

Spencer gave JJ a look telling her that he knows that she's lying before he started to follow her.

"You're not fine. You're obviously displaying symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, which absolutely makes sense. We're coming up on a year since your abduction and torture, and anniversary dates have a power all their own. Not to mention the fact that seasonal weather changes bring back smells that you probably now can only associate with the initial event." said Spencer as he stopped walking and rested a hand on JJ's arm, "All that I'm saying is that what you're going through is entirely textbook."

JJ led Spencer to an empty room.

"In here." said JJ and a few seconds later JJ was closing the door before looking at Spencer, "Stop it. Stop it. Stop doing that. Stop...being you."

"I can't help it." said Spencer.

"Yes, you can. You can. You think you know what's going on, but you don't." said JJ.

"Well, then explain it to me, JJ, because all I know is my friend is hurting, and when I see her in pain, I want to make it stop." said Spencer.

"All right. All right. Give me a word." said JJ.

"A word?" asked a confused Spencer.

"A term. A label. Something that explains what I have, because it is bigger than PTSD, and right now that word is Tivon. Tivon Askari." said JJ as she pounded her injured hand into her other hand.

"The man who tortured you." said Spencer.

"No. No, he was more than that. He was my partner in Afghanistan. I didn't-I didn't know he was a-." hesitated JJ.

Spencer decided to finish for JJ.

"Double agent. I know. I read the file. You were attempting to extract Intel from a woman named Nadia. He set a trap and killed Nadia and her daughter." said Spencer as he noticed the guilt that JJ was showing, "Listen, JJ, you cannot blame yourself for that."

JJ laughed bitterly.

"The Humvee, was that in the file?" asked JJ.

"Yeah. You almost caught him. He set an IED to take out your convoy. I know you were wounded-" said Spencer.

At that moment tears started to fall down JJ's face.

"I was pregnant. You see, if I had never gotten involved, Nadia and her daughter would still be alive, and Henry would have a little..." cried JJ, "I can't let this go. I can't. What is the word for that, Spence?"

"I don't know." said Spencer as he knew that if Taylor was growing in the right place right now, Olivia would have been 36 weeks pregnant while having a godchild that would be growing up with Piper.

JJ moved her hair behind her ears as she sniffled.

"This stays between us. Ok?" asked JJ.

"Ok." said Spencer before looking at JJ before she could leave the room, "I know what it's like to lose a child because Olivia lost our would be fourth child to an ectopic pregnancy during the six weeks she, the kids, and I spent in Vegas while I was on medical leave."

JJ came back into the room and closed the door.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked JJ as more tears fell down her face as she hugged Spencer.

"Livy was only six weeks pregnant, and we didn't even know that we were expecting until I got her to the hospital and we had to terminate the pregnancy or otherwise I would be raising Piper, Albert, and Ava on my own. Livy would have been 36 weeks pregnant today if Taylor developed in the right place." said Spencer.

"I won't tell anyone as long as you tell no one about the miscarriage." said JJ before leaving the room.

Spencer stood there quietly for a few minutes, and a few minutes later Spencer was standing by the map as he thought about his would be godchild and Taylor when Hotch approached him.

"Where are we on finding the boat?" asked Hotch.

Spencer turned around to make eye contact with Hotch.

"Um... The presumption is that the, um... Cult would have owned the boat. So I'm just gonna look at it from that angle." said Spencer as he looked at the papers that he grabbed while talking.

Hotch started to wonder what had happened to the Spencer Reid that he gave a fist bump to the previous evening for owning his teammates.

"Is there something I should know?" asked Hotch.

"No. About-no. I'll let you know if I find anything." stuttered Spencer before hurrying away as Hotch watched him with concerned eyes while making a mental note to talk to Spencer after the case.

* * *

 _A/N: Part two is in progress, and if you don't remember about the ectopic pregnancy that Olivia went through please revisit chapters 30 and 31 of this story._


	46. The Forever People Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 45._

 _I decided that in this chapter I'm going to have Spencer tell Kate about his abduction and torture while Hotch talks to JJ about her actions (I was a bit angry when there wasn't a scene that had Hotch chew JJ out about her actions like he did with Spencer in Elephant's Memory) since one of the huge topics during The Forever People was PTSD._

 _Here's a warning that Spencer will be a bit OOC in this chapter due to his unusual language when it comes to finding out about the unsub._

* * *

The next morning Spencer, Kate, and Hotch entered the room where Adam Lewis's body was being looked over.

"Ok, so Garcia couldn't find anything online about the Forever People or cults that freeze in general, but she found this guy, Adam Lewis. His parents reported him missing a month ago. If cryogenics is their hook, they should try a lot harder to hide it." said Kate.

Spencer decided to correct Kate.

"Technically, it's cryonics and not cryogenics. Cryogenics is a scientifically proven process involving the successful freezing and thawing of materials without damage. Cryonics involves taking an already dead body and putting it in liquid nitrogen, and there's no scientific merit whatsoever." said Spencer as Kate smiled a bit, realizing that she just got corrected by someone with a PhD in chemistry as Hotch got Garcia on the phone.

"Hiya. I thought you guys were getting cold feet. Oh, pun unintended." joked Garcia,

"Garcia, tell us if anyone ordered the following supplies." said Hotch.

"Besides liquid nitrogen, they need large stainless steel dewars for body storage." said Spencer.

Garcia did some typing.

"That is a big n-o on all fronts." said Garcia.

"What about financial overlap? We know that Sarah Rhodes made monthly withdrawals. Did Adam Lewis do something similar?" asked Hotch.

"Uh...Yes. Actually, he did. The exact same amount of money- 260 bucks, to be exact. And he wrote checks. Hello, paper trail. The money went to the Global Warming Awareness fund. That's kind of the opposite end of the spectrum, isn't it?" asked Garcia.

"It makes sense. Cults frequently set up nonprofits to hide their earnings from members." said Spencer.

"And you can't apply for nonprofit status without an address." said Hotch.

"I'm way ahead of you, boss." said Garcia.

"Garcia." said Hotch.

"Here it is. Address sent." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer was sitting with Hotch, Kate, and Rossi when JJ and Morgan entered the room with Detective Charming.

"We need a stakeout on that house. He said they bring the kids by intermittently." said JJ.

"I'll send plainclothes up now." said Detective Charming.

"So now what? We sit back and wait until they bring the kids around?" asked Rossi.

"Well, they know we've arrested their leader. That's a risky plan." said Morgan.

"Especially since we know Grant isn't the unsub." said Hotch.

"How can he not be our guy? He's the one that shows you the face of god at 30 below." said Kate.

"He was genuinely surprised when we showed him the crime scene photos." said Hotch.

"I saw that, too. He didn't sanction the murders, which means somebody else did them." said Rossi.

"A second-tier member pulling a power play, maybe?" asked JJ.

"It'd be easier to shoot them and bury them in the desert. No, this unsub is replicating the cult's M.O. even when he knows law enforcement is watching. Except he's not interested in resuscitating them. He wants to watch them freeze to death. That's his compulsion." said Hotch.

"He'd be a psychrophile, then, somebody with a sexual fetish for the cold." said Spencer.

"So let me get this straight. We're saying that there's a serial killer inside the cult?" asked Kate.

"Talk about a needle in a needlestack." said Rossi.

"You know, you can see why the Forever People would be the perfect fit for him, then. The group would satiate his needs for a while, like a pedophile who resorts to pornography to keep his urges in check, and then when he can't control himself anymore, he kills the members that Colton wouldn't miss, the ones who were trying to get out." said Spencer.

"Ok, so let's go with the pedophile analogy. You show them pictures, they get excited, what happened when you showed pictured of two frozen bodies to the members of that house?" asked Kate.

"Nobody reacted. They just stared blankly. The unsub isn't anyone we talked to." said Morgan.

"Except the kids weren't inside the house. And where there's kids there has to be adult supervision, right? The unsub's watching the children." said JJ.

At that moment Spencer grew angry.

"I so want to shoot that son of a bitch between the eyes." said Spencer with anger lacing in his voice.

Spencer's teammates smirked at his out of character reaction since they all felt the same way.

"I think we all do, Reid." said Hotch.

* * *

JJ pulled over at the compound, and a few seconds later she and Spencer saw a minivan containing booster seats.

"Spence. Booster seats. The kids are here." said JJ before they headed to the main entrance with Detective Charming and JJ pounded on the door.

"FBI!" shouted JJ.

Beth Acosta opened the door and saw two familiar and one not so familiar faces.

"What are you doing here? This is a private residence." said Beth.

"Get her out of here." said JJ.

Detective Charming grabbed Beth.

"You can't go in there without a warrant." said Beth.

"Wrong." said Spencer as he entered the building with JJ.

After clearing rooms, Spencer and JJ met up and Spencer looked at JJ.

"There's a trailer out back." said Spencer.

A minute later Spencer tried opening up the trailer door, and they heard a whisper.

"What are we gonna do?" asked one of the children.

JJ came up with a plan to get the kids out.

"Who wants French fries?" asked JJ.

The oldest girl drew back the curtain.

"I want French fries." said the oldest girl.

The girl unlocked the door and came outside and Spencer grabbed the youngest girl's hand, making him think of Piper and Ava.

"Come on, guys." said Spencer as he and JJ helped the kids get out.

"We need to get them into protective custody." said JJ.

Spencer made his decision as he held a child's hand.

"I'll watch over them myself. We need to regroup with the team." said Spencer.

JJ looked at the five kids.

"Bobby. Where's Bobby?" asked JJ as the last child came out.

"Here." said Bobby as he raised his hand.

Spencer crouched down to the kids eye level.

"Did anyone come looking for you while you were here? One of the new members, maybe?" asked JJ.

"I saw somebody." said the oldest girl.

"Who'd you see, sweetie?" asked JJ.

"A man, asking about Bobby. Then brother Jon made him go to sleep." said the oldest girl.

"Where's brother Jon now?" asked Spencer as he used a tone that he uses for Piper, Albert, and Ava.

"Probably back at our house. Where the 5 of us live, I mean." said Bobby.

"Do you know the address, Bobby?" asked JJ.

Bobby gave the address, and JJ headed towards the SUV, leaving Spencer and Detective Charming with the kids.

"Since booster seats are already installed in the minivan we might as well take the kids in that since CPS will have to meet with them." said Detective Charming.

"I will drive them myself since I don't have a vehicle." said Spencer.

"I'll help you get them loaded up, Dr. Reid." said Detective Charming.

A few minutes later Spencer was getting into the driver's seat of the minivan before starting the van and started the drive to the police station with all five kids with Detective Charming driving behind him.

"What's your name?" asked Bobby.

"Dr. Spencer Reid, but you guys can call me Spencer." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer, Detective Charming, and the five kids entered the police station where the CPS worker was waiting for them.

"These are the kids?" asked the CPS worker as she couldn't hide her smile at the sight of Spencer giving one of the kids a piggy back ride.

"Yes ma'am." said Spencer as he introduced himself and swooped the youngest girl he was giving a piggy back ride to off his back, "Off you go sweetie." said Spencer.

"Thank you for the piggy back ride." said the youngest girl.

"Your welcome." said Spencer.

A short while later the worker looked at Spencer who had the youngest girl on his lap since she wouldn't separate from him.

"I will take care of Bobby since his father's out there so how about you entertain the others?" asked the worker,

"Gladly." said Spencer and motioned the four kids he was in charge of to follow him as he opened the door and stepped out of the room with the kids following him.

"Raise your hands if you guys like hot chocolate." said Spencer.

The kids smiled as they raised their hands and Spencer grinned.

"You like hot chocolate?" asked Spencer before pointing at the blonde hair girl, "You do too?" asked Spencer as the two boys raised their hands, "Oh man!" grinned Spencer as he led the four kids to the snack area.

A few minutes later he was drinking his hot chocolate with the four kids, and Spencer looked at the kids.

"Who's ready for magic tricks?" asked Spencer.

All the kids raised their hands, and Spencer grabbed his messenger bag and got the materials he needed.

Spencer looked at the youngest girl.

"Would you like to be my assistant?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, Spencer." grinned the youngest girl.

Spencer pulled out a deck of cards.

"Pick a card. Any card." said Spencer.

The youngest girl eagerly picked a card, and during the next few minutes Spencer stumped all four kids with his card tricks as Hotch, Morgan, Rossi, and Kate watched with amusement showing on their faces.

* * *

As Spencer helped his teammates pack up, Kate looked at him.

"I think it was a good idea that you offered to protect those kids yourself." said Kate.

"They reminded me of Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Spencer.

"Drinking hot chocolate with those kids instead of coffee?" asked Morgan.

"I needed to set a good example like I do for my kids." said Spencer as he looked at JJ who was staying at a distance from the rest of her team before looking at Hotch "I already called my mother's doctor, and apparently she's having a good day. So I asked my aunt and uncle to check her out of Bennington and take her to Binions where I am going to surprise her."

"Have fun." said Rossi.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Please tell your mom, aunt, and uncle that I said hello." said Morgan.

"I will." said Spencer as he accepted the keys from Morgan.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"May I talk to you outside before you head to Vegas?" asked Hotch.

A minute later Spencer and Hotch were standing outside the SUV that Spencer was going to drive and Spencer looked at Hotch.

"Before you go, I need to know why you were distracted yesterday." said Hotch.

Spencer sighed as he realized that Hotch was speaking in a tone that meant no arguing.

"JJ's dealing with PTSD since it's nearing the one year anniversary of her abduction and torture, and I tried to confront her due to my own experience of being abducted and tortured." said Spencer.

Hotch sighed as he closed his eyes.

"I can't believe that I forgot, and now I have something else to talk to JJ about during the flight home. I can't let her get away with her actions since I told her to wait for back up since one wrong move would have cost three lives." said Hotch.

"While I was driving those kids here, I was thinking about the lecture you gave me after the Owen Savage case." said Spencer.

"You should get going." said Hotch as he gave Spencer the departure time.

A few minutes later Spencer got onto the highway and he quickly used the blue-tooth on his phone to contact Emily.

"What's up, Spencer?" asked Emily.

"I'm hoping that I'm not disturbing you, but I need a favor." said Spencer as he explained what file he needed.

"It's the anniversary of JJ's abduction?" asked Emily as she thought about how Spencer would read files of the unsubs to help him cope.

"It is, and she did something very reckless that could have made Will a widow and have Henry grow up without a mother and Hotch is already planning on talking to her during the flight home since he can't ignore her actions." said Spencer.

"He didn't let you get away with your actions after the Owen Savage case." said Emily.

"I know." said Spencer as he updated Emily on Olivia and the kids before he reached the familiar sign to welcome him to his hometown, "Well I have to get going since I'm about to meet up with my mom, aunt, and uncle since Hotch is giving me two hours to spend with them."

"Tell your family that I said hello, and when you get back to DC give Olivia a birthday hug for me and give the kids a kiss from their aunt Emily." said Emily.

"I will, and hopefully we can Skype this weekend." said Spencer before exchanging goodbyes with Emily and hanging up.

A few minutes later Spencer was being led to the table that his mom, aunt, and uncle were already at and Diana's eyes went wide when she saw her son come over to her and pull her into a hug.

"Hi mom." said Spencer.

"You never called to say that you were in town." said Diana as she hugged her son.

"I was in Boulder City for a case, and my boss gave me permission to come out here and take you out to eat before I fly home in an hour and a half." said Spencer.

"At least you are able to visit me even if it means having chicken fried lobster." said Diana.

"I know." said Spencer.

Ethel looked at her nephew.

"I wish that you would trim your hair." said Ethel.

"I love the length right now, and I'm waiting for Albert to get his first hair cut in the next couple of weeks." said Spencer.

"So you're going to show Albert that it will be OK?" asked Ethel.

"That's the plan." said Spencer as he showed his mom, aunt, and uncle some of the latest pictures of the kids.

"Am I able to talk to them in a few minutes?" asked Diana.

"I have my tablet that we can use to Skype with them." said Spencer as a waitress approached them.

A few minutes later Spencer, Diana, Gordon, and Ethel took their orders and after the waitress walked away Spencer pulled out his tablet and connected it to Skype.

"I sent Olivia a text to have her be by the computer with the kids." said Spencer.

"So I get to see my grandchildren?" asked a smiling Diana.

"Yes." said Spencer as he sent a Skype call to Olivia and a few minutes later he grinned when he saw the smiling faces of Olivia and the kids.

"You come home daddy?" asked Piper.

"I will be home after you, your brother, and sister are in bed tonight, but someone wants to say hi." said Spencer as he had his mom move closer to him.

"Nana!" shouted Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

"Hello Piper, Albert, and Ava." said Diana before looking at her daughter in law, "Hello Olivia."

"Hi mom." said Olivia.

At that moment Gordon and Ethel joined Spencer and Diana causing all three toddlers to be excited to see their great aunt and great uncle.

"Even though I talked to you the other day, Olivia, but I want to wish you a happy birthday again." said Gordon.

"Thanks." said Olivia.

"What did my son get you for your birthday?" asked Diana.

Olivia started telling her mother in law about her birthday presents before Piper decided to tell her grandma about her last trip to the zoo and when the food arrived Spencer looked at his kids.

"I have to get going, so I will see you munchkins when I get home tonight, and you guys are sleeping with mommy and me." said Spencer as he used his eyes on Olivia who shook her head.

"Bye daddy." chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava before Olivia signed off and he started to eat his chicken fried lobster while telling his mom, aunt, and uncle about the antics of Piper, Albert, and Ava.

* * *

Spencer was signing his post case paperwork when JJ sat down across from him.

"How was the visit with your mom, aunt, and uncle?" asked JJ.

Spencer shrugged.

"Why are you giving me the silent treatment?" asked JJ.

Spencer noticed Hotch approaching them, and he mentally patted himself on the back for telling Hotch that JJ is dealing with post traumatic stress disorder.

"I'm thinking about the lecture that Hotch gave me after the Owen Savage case for risking my life nearly seven years ago, and the talk that Hotch is about to give to you for risking your life since he can't let you get away with your actions despite dealing with PTSD." said Spencer as he got up and joined Rossi, Kate, and Morgan at the table.

At that moment Hotch sat across from JJ causing him to flashback to confronting a 26 year old Spencer after the Owen Savage case.

"Reid's right that we have to talk. I noticed something was off with him, making me wonder what happened to the Reid I gave a fist bump to a few days ago." said Hotch.

JJ glanced at where Spencer was talking to Rossi and Kate.

"He told you about me dealing with post traumatic stress disorder?" asked JJ.

"He and I made an agreement about him coming to me when he is dealing with symptoms post traumatic stress disorder after he struggled on his own for a few months nearly eight years ago, and I made the same agreement with Emily too. Plus with that reckless stunt you pulled, I realized that he knew what was going on with you so I confronted him before he left to visit with his mom, aunt, and uncle." said Hotch.

"But I told him not to tell anyone." said JJ.

"He was thinking about what's best for you, and I was already planning on talking to you about risking your life." said Hotch as he started to give JJ his lecture.

* * *

Meanwhile Kate looked at Spencer who was in deep thought.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Kate.

"During the fight home after your first case with us I heard you, Morgan, and JJ talking about battle scars." said Spencer.

"You were sitting near Hotch and talking about your kids." said Kate.

"I know, but I don't like making light of being tortured like JJ did that night." said Spencer softly.

At that moment Kate's eyes went wide.

"You were once tortured by an unsub?" asked Kate.

"Nearly eight years ago there was a case down in Atlanta, Georgia and when JJ and I were sent to interview a witness that we didn't know that he was the unsub until interviewing him. We tried to arrest him by going after him ourselves since we didn't have time for backup, and I made a huge mistake of splitting up with JJ since I was abducted and held captive for nearly three days by an unsub with DID who had three different personalities that each treated me differently." said Spencer.

"You don't have to continue." said Kate as she quickly did the math while realizing that Spencer was only 25 years old when he was abducted and held captive.

"It's nearing the eighth anniversary of my abduction and torture so it makes sense that I tell you now before you notice that I'm acting a bit different next month causing one of the team to explain." said Spencer before he decided to get back to his story, "Hotch, Morgan, JJ, Garcia, Gideon, and a former coworker all witnessed me being tortured since the unsub sent them live feed which was a huge mistake due to my ability to think of coded messages of where I think I was being held and said them to my teammates."

Spencer stopped for a moment to take a deep breath before continuing.

"At first I tried to tell my teammates in a coded message that they should search for areas where animals had been poached. During my captivity I had to figure out which personality I was dealing with since the father personality actually beat me so badly that I ended up hitting my head against the floor where I had a fatal seizure." said Spencer.

"You actually died?" asked a shocked Kate.

"I was clinically dead for over three minutes before Hankel decided to give me CPR, and after I was brought back to life I saw a few headstones, making me realize that I was being held in a cemetery. So when the Raphael personality decided to have me name one of my teammates to die while playing Russian roulette with one bullet in his revolver I named myself to die a few times until I knew that the next time I named myself I would be dead so I knew that I had to name someone." said Spencer.

"Who did you name?" asked Kate very softly as she realized that Spencer is one of the strongest agents she has ever worked with despite his looks.

"Hotch." said Spencer with a slight smirk on his face.

"Why Hotch?" asked Kate as she realized that the story was about to get very interesting since she noticed the smirks forming on Morgan's and Rossi's faces.

"If you heard some of the debates that Hotch and I had, we once had a debate about classic narcissism so I called him a classic narcissist, and I made sure to misquote a Bible verse and give the name of the verse since I knew that Hotch would look up the correct verse since he knows that I would never give the wrong answer unless it's on purpose which is why he never questions my abilities." said Spencer.

Kate softly chuckled as she thought back to what Hotch said the other day when Morgan asked him if he was on Spencer's side from the beginning, and when Kate was done chuckling Spencer continued.

"After I told Hankel my sin I was taken into the cemetery where I was forced to to start digging my own grave before I saw the flashlights from a distance and heard my teammates call my name. When I knew that help was almost there, I was able to trick Hankel so I could grab his gun and fatally shoot him in the chest before he could stab me seconds before my teammates and assisting officers got to me." said Spencer.

At that moment, Morgan, who was texting with Savannah, looked over at Kate.

"When we heard that gunshot, everyone thought that the worst had happened since we all thought that Hankel killed Reid a second time, not realizing that Spencer saved himself since we were all hoping to kill Hankel ourselves due to what he put Reid through during that case." said Morgan.

Kate looked at Spencer.

"So what does the story you just told me have to deal with JJ?" asked Kate.

"I dealt with severe PTSD after rescuing myself, and after struggling for a few months I finally accepted Hotch's offer for help since he didn't want to lose me to the demons I was dealing with. When it's the anniversary of my abduction, Hotch tends to keep a closer eye on me since I deal with PTSD during the anniversary." said Spencer before adding, "Next month will be the anniversary of my abduction and torture, and right now JJ's dealing with the one year anniversary of her abduction and I was trying to help her since she's dealing with PTSD and that caused her to be reckless in the field."

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"PTSD does tend to get us all reckless." said Morgan.

Spencer snorted in agreement.

"Does Olivia know about your abduction?" asked Kate.

"I told her a week after I started dating her, and she's very supportive when it comes to the anniversary of my abduction and torture since she did research on PTSD and asking me what triggers she needs to avoid to prevent flashbacks." said Spencer.

"Is fish one of the triggers since none of you guys will order any type of fish to eat during cases?" asked Kate.

Rossi looked at Kate.

"You definitely caught on." said Rossi.

"Why fish?" asked Kate.

"Hankel was burning fish guts the entire time to keep away the devil, and my teammates smelled the burning fish guts when they couldn't find me in the shed I was held captive in." said Spencer.

Morgan looked at Kate.

"Hotch, Gideon, JJ, Emily, and I can never forget that smell since we were all visibly gagging at the smell when we entered the shack, and after Reid got sick the first time he smelled fish we all decided to cut fish out of our diets." said Morgan.

At that moment Spencer looked at his watch.

"I'm going to take a short nap since there's two hours before landing." said Spencer as he headed over to the bench seat and laid down.

* * *

As JJ was packing up, Spencer approached JJ.

"Feeling any better?" asked Spencer.

"Sorry?" asked JJ.

"I thought maybe reuniting a family would..." said Spencer.

"Oh... No. I'm glad I did my job, but this doesn't go away because of some surrogate. You know who does think that way?" asked JJ.

"Serial killers?" asked Spencer with a smile on his face.

"Yeah." said JJ.

"Hey, uh, I couldn't find that word you asked for, but I also didn't want it to be Tivon Askari anymore, so I called Emily. I didn't tell her anything. I just asked her to pull any extra background Intel she could. Apparently people are much more willing to talk about a terrorist once he's dead. Anyway, I put it in your old office in case you wanted some privacy. You don't have to look at it if you don't want." said Spencer before looking at JJ, "I'm sorry about telling Hotch that you're dealing with PTSD."

"It's OK. You were trying to do what's best for me since I shouldn't deal with PTSD alone, and he told me that he was planning on talking to me about being reckless." said JJ.

Spencer grabbed his wallet and found a card.

"This is the support group that Olivia and I attend to help us cope with the loss of Taylor, and the group allows parents who lost a child due to accidents too, so I think they will help you." said Spencer quietly before looking at JJ, "Have you ever told Will about the Humvee attack that led you to having a miscarriage?" asked Spencer.

"No." said JJ.

"You shouldn't keep something like this from him since you promised him no more secrets, and Olivia and I can take in Henry so you and Will can talk about everything just in case there's any yelling." said Spencer.

"I think I will take that offer since Will has noticed how distant I have gotten over the past year." said JJ.

Spencer looked at the clock.

"I'm going to head home since Olivia told me that she already has Piper, Albert, and Ava in bed with her. So goodnight." said Spencer before walking away.

"Spence." said JJ

Spencer nodded at JJ before heading to the elevators.

* * *

An hour and a half later Spencer was in bed with Olivia and the kids while all three toddlers were either on top of their daddy or curled into his sides.

"I'm jealous." whispered Olivia.

"There were kids involved with the case I just worked on, so I want to keep them close to me." said Spencer before falling asleep from exhaustion with Olivia falling back to sleep a few seconds later.

* * *

The next night Spencer hugged his godson.

"You excited about staying the night?" asked Spencer.

"Yes uncle Spencer." said Henry.

"Now let's head to my house to see what aunt Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava are up to." said Spencer as he picked up his godson's overnight bag before JJ and Will looked at him.

"Thanks for doing this, Spence." said JJ.

"You're welcome." said Spencer.

A half hour later Spencer was playing with Henry, Piper, Albert, and Ava.

* * *

 _A/N: Even though The Forever People is one of my favorite episodes due to Spencer's and Hotch's fist bump, I was upset that Hotch didn't lecture JJ about her actions like he did with Spencer during Elephant's Memory so I decided that Hotch would need to talk about her actions since Spencer was dealing with PTSD due to the case bringing back painful memories in Elephant's Memory causing him to be reckless while JJ was dealing with PTSD in The Forever People causing her to be reckless._

 _And let's just say that with the talk that Will and JJ had led to the decision of attending marriage counseling since Spencer convinced JJ that she needed to come clean to Will about the baby she miscarried in Afghanistan._


	47. Anonymous

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 46.

I'm warning that some of the content in this chapter could be rated M due to an adorable two and a half little girl saying a certain swear word and the mention of a sexual activity, but I thought that a funny moment is needed due to the next chapter requiring a lot of tissues.

Here's a heads up that I'm going to be updating less this month and part of next month since I'm going to be moving.

* * *

Spencer smiled at the sight of Piper in a purple sparkly leotard with leggings to keep her legs warm, her long light brown curly hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her glasses were on her securely due to the strap that came with them.

"Ready for your first gymnastics lesson?" asked Spencer.

"Yes, daddy." said Piper.

"Bobby, Andrea, and Allison will be there too since Andrea got signed up for the same class." said Spencer.

"Yay." said Piper.

Olivia looked at Spencer.

"Please make sure to take pictures and make videos." said Olivia.

"I promise." said Spencer as he helped Piper put on her jacket.

* * *

As Spencer was helping Piper pull on her shoes, the coach Grace Patterson came over to Spencer.

"Until today I have never seen a two and a half year old who picked up everything very quickly and showed the correct form without being guided." said Grace.

Spencer looked at Grace.

"Piper inherited my eidetic memory, and that's why she would get everything perfect whenever it was her turn." said Spencer.

"What's an eidetic memory?" asked Grace.

Spencer explained his memory to Grace, and when he was finished Grace looked at him.

"With how great Piper did today, I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up being a gymnastics prodigy who actually ends up in the Summer Olympics." said Grace.

Spencer smiled at Piper as he thought about having a daughter who ends up being a famous gymnast.

"I can actually see that." said Spencer.

* * *

The next day at work, Spencer was showing his teammates the videos he made of Piper the day before, and after showing the last video he looked at his teammates.

"The coach said that she's never seen a two and a half year old show advanced skills until yesterday, and when I told her about Piper's memory she mentioned that there's a possibility that Piper could end up in the summer Olympics if she decides to continue gymnastics when she's a teenager." said the proud father.

"That's my girl." said Hotch.

"Seems like Piper is already set for big things in her life." said Rossi.

"I was hoping that she would do soccer, but I can actually see my goddaughter ending up in the Olympics with how well she did based on the videos you just showed us." said JJ.

"I prefer a gymnast daughter than a daughter who would want to be an FBI agent like me." said Spencer.

"Albert might decide to be an FBI agent." said Morgan.

"Even though I'm happy with my career choice, I don't want my kids following my footsteps." said Spencer before heading back to his desk.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer sat at the conference room table with Morgan, Kate, and JJ when Garcia entered the room.

"So, now Hotch as well will not be joining us today." said Garcia.

"What's up with Hotch? He taking a vacation, too?" asked Morgan.

"No. He is going to meet you at the airport, and actually, Rossi- that doesn't matter. Uh, I am here to present the case. 3 nights ago, in Tallahassee, Florida, a woman named Betty Wright was found shot in front of Carter Memorial Hospital. She's currently brain dead. She's on life support. Her vehicle was found 10 miles from the location." said Garcia.

Spencer looked at the pictures.

"Looks like she'd been in an accident." said Spencer.

"Do we think the killer engineered the crash?" asked JJ.

"That is unlikely. It appears to be a single-car spin out." said Garcia.

"So the unsub happened upon the accident by chance and was taking her to the hospital." said Kate.

"Where a rescue mission somehow turned into an execution." said Morgan.

"Unfortunately, there is more, because yesterday afternoon, also in Tallahassee, Cliff Daniels, 38, was found bludgeoned and shot to death on the steps of a church, and ballistics confirm that the gun was the same in both shootings." said Garcia.

"He leaves his victims on the doorsteps of places we think of as a sanctuary- church, hospital." said Spencer.

"Only to snatch away hope at the last minute. Maybe we're dealing with a sadist?" asked Kate.

"Whatever the reason, this unsub's killed twice in less than 48 hours. Let's get going." said Morgan.

A minute later Spencer was contacting Olivia while he grabbed his go bag.

"Got a case?" asked Olivia.

"Going to Tallahassee, and I don't have time to talk since I'm heading to the jet now. But I do promise to call at bedtime for story time." said Spencer.

"You know the rules about staying safe, and I love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too, and please give the kids a kiss from me." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

"Both victims were black, but the similarities begin and end right there." said Morgan as he walked towards his teammates with a cup of coffee.

"Betty Wright was a well-liked Tallahassee native, pillar of the community." said Hotch.

"Cliff Daniels, on the other hand, was a shady character from New Jersey who moved to Florida 3 months ago." said JJ as she flipped through her file.

"Yeah, and not for the sunshine. A Ponzi scheme he'd been running back east imploded." said Kate.

"Maybe one of the investors who got burned came back to Florida for revenge." said Spencer.

"It doesn't explain Betty Wright's murder." said Morgan.

Garcia's face popped up on the screens.

"You know, I would love one day to interrupt you on the jet to report that a stray puppy was found and saved and given the best home ever. But it's not gonna be today, because there's been another shooting. Victor Hall." said Garcia.

"Is he black?" asked Morgan.

"Nope. White." said Garcia.

"At least that might eliminate race as a motive." said Spencer.

"There was a witness this time, Peter Goodwin, the victim's shrink. They'd just finished a session together." said Garcia.

"All right, Reid and Kate, go to the medical examiner. Morgan, you and JJ talk to Betty Wright's family at the hospital. I'll talk to this new witness and see if he can shed some light." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was at the medical examiners office with Kate.

"So the gunshot didn't kill Daniels." said Kate.

"That's right. Bullet just grazed the skull. C.O.D. was actually from the blunt force trauma to the head." said Dr. Mahaffey.

"Could you determine the murder weapon?" asked Spencer.

"No, but there were minute traces of metal flecks in the scalp. My guess would be a tire iron, metal pipe, something like that." said Dr. Mahaffey.

"How long had Daniels been dead when he was discovered at the church?" asked Spencer.

"I'd say 5-6 hours." said Mr. Mahaffey.

"As head trauma goes, I've seen a lot worse." said Kate.

"Two moderate blows to the temple, like the killer was weak." said Dr. Mahaffey.

"Or he restrained himself. Is there such a thing as underkill?" asked Kate as she looked at Spencer.

"There was with this victim. If the unsub did hold back, I wonder why." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was pacing in the conference room he and his teammates were given to work in.

"Ok, so the 911 call on Victor Hall's murder came in at 10:37 AM., police were on the scene at 10:42, only moments after the shooting." said JJ.

"So the killer himself made the call. He alerted the police before shooting Victor." said Kate.

"It's like he was leaving open the chance for rescue, the way he did with Betty Wright." said Spencer.

"He's being careful. The call came from a disposable cell phone so it couldn't be traced." said Kate.

"Hotch also said he was careful to place the bullet so it penetrated the skull at an angle." said Spencer.

"Mimics the restrained nature of the head trauma to Cliff Daniels." said JJ.

"Garcia said she couldn't find a shred of connective tissue between any of the victims." said Kate.

Spencer looked at the clear board.

"So far, the unsub staged his murders in front of a hospital, a church, and a psychiatrist's office. He could be making a statement about body, mind, and soul." said Spencer.

"No, no, no. To me it feels like he's re-enacting, playing out versions of a near-miss that happened to him or a loved one." said Kate.

"Or he's an adrenaline junkie. Killing isn't exciting unless he's walking that raggedy edge of being caught." said JJ.

"OK, so let's catch him." said Kate.

* * *

"We believe we're looking for a white male in his early to mid-50s. He appears to be engineering murder scenarios so the victims can be attended to quickly enough to have their organs recovered." started Hotch.

"All the victims are registered organ donors. With Betty Wright, he saw her medic alert bracelet. We don't know how he learned about the others yet." said Morgan.

"He may need an organ for himself or a loved one, but because of the scarcity of available organs, he could be taking matters into his own hands." said Spencer.

"If the supply is low, he'll create supply." said Kate.

"Now, with the latest victim, the killer made a mistake. Dale Crawford had serious alcohol and drug issues." said JJ.

"This would have compromised his vital organs and made him a poor candidate for a transplant." said Morgan.

"When the killer realized the mistake he made with Crawford, the punishment was cold-blooded murder." said Kate.

"It is possible that this setback with Crawford will actually accelerate the unsub's kills and make him more dangerous. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

Spencer walked into the bullpen with Kate so he could get some coffee.

"It's nearly impossible to narrow down the unsub's hunting ground. I mean, any cashier who asked a customer for their driver's license is gonna know that they're an organ donor." said Kate.

"Garcia's checking to see if all of our victims intersected at any retail establishments." said Spencer as he started fixing himself some coffee.

"On top of that, the north Florida organ procurement center is located right here in Tallahassee and their employees would know friends, family." said Kate.

"Not to mention online donor registration. Anyone with even marginal computer skills could access the database." said Spencer as Kate checked her phone.

"We've got another one." said Kate.

Spencer abandoned his coffee so he could head to the crime scene with Kate, and a short while later they were at a park.

"Keith Doheny. A jogger found him like this." said Spencer.

"Was there a 911 call beforehand?" asked Kate.

"Nothing." said Spencer.

"Oxygen concentrator. If he's not in good health, he's not exactly a good candidate for donating organs." said Kate as Spencer knelt down to get a better look at Keith.

"You know, the victim's severely jaundiced. He himself could be in the final stages of liver failure." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone.

"So maybe that's it. Maybe he's not giving organs, he's in need of one." said Kate.

Spencer contacted Garcia, and a minute later Garcia was giving them the information they needed.

"You are right on the dinero. Keith Doheny has been waiting for a liver transplant since last November." said Garcia.

"What's his meld score?" asked Spencer.

"His what what?" asked Garcia.

"Model for end-stage liver disease. It's a point system the United Network for organ sharing uses to determine those most in need." said Spencer.

Garcia did some typing.

"It's high. Like right there at the top." said Garcia.

"Ok, so if the other murders were about creating supply, maybe now he's eliminating demand?" asked Kate.

"Which means the unsub isn't dispersing organs randomly. He's trying to help one specific person." said Spencer..

"One way to do that, whittle down the competition." said Kate.

* * *

The next day Spencer was walking with Hotch and JJ.

"Garcia's checking the waiting lists for liver transplants. Someone's going to benefit from Keith Doheny's death." said JJ.

"Since the blood types of the victims are varied, have her only look at the universal recipient, AB-positive." said Hotch.

"You know, if the unsub needs the organ for a loved one, he probably already tried to make a living donation himself. The liver has the greatest regenerative capacity of any organ in the human body and a transplanted portion from a living donor will grow to full size in a couple of weeks." said Spencer.

"Have Garcia get names of people who applied to be living donors but were rejected." said Hotch.

JJ stopped walking.

"Ok, identifying donors is one thing, but finding out who was on a recipient waiting list is next to impossible. How did the unsub manage it?" asked JJ.

"We need to look at Keith Doheny's circle of friends. Support groups, doctors and nurses, anyone who might be familiar with his circumstances." said Hotch before he walked away.

* * *

Later on that night Spencer smiled when he saw Olivia curled up on the couch watching TV in her pajamas while wearing one of his bulky cardigans and he was amused that she wasn't aware that he stepped into the house.

"You missed me so much that you had to steal one of my sweaters?" asked a smirking Spencer.

Olivia turned her head and quickly got off the couch. She made her way over to her husband and lightly smacked him on the arm.

"You didn't even call to say that you were coming home tonight." said Olivia before kissing her husband.

"I just like surprising you so I can see the look on your face." laughed Spencer.

"Just wait until the kids see you in the morning." smirked Olivia.

"I can't wait." said Spencer.

"So how is Rossi doing?" asked Olivia as she thought back to the phone call she received earlier.

Spencer looked at the clock, seeing that it's 10:30 PM.

"The funeral is tomorrow, and Rossi is planning on being back in DC on Sunday." said Spencer.

"We might as well make some casseroles to put into his freezer before he returns." said Olivia.

"It's a good thing that I have a key to his mansion." said Spencer before yawning.

"Let's head up to bed since we will have three excited toddlers in the morning." said Olivia as she turned off the TV.

"OK." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was checking on the kids and watching each child sleep for a minute before heading into the master bathroom to take a shower and joining Olivia in bed.

* * *

The next morning Spencer entered Piper's room. He gently settled himself on Piper's bed and started stroking her hair.

"It's time to wake up, Piper." said Spencer as he grabbed Piper's glasses off the nightstand.

Piper opened her eyes, and despite not being able to see her daddy, she recognized his voice.

"Your home." said Piper as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Yes I am." said Spencer as he threaded Piper's glasses onto the bridge of her nose, and a few seconds later Piper was able to see him.

"I miss you." said Piper as she hugged her daddy.

"I missed you too." said Spencer as he hugged his oldest daughter while thinking about how the unsub did all that killing so his daughter could get his liver.

Piper's stomach growled, causing the two and a half year old little girl to giggle.

"Let's have you go potty and get dressed before we get some food into you." said Spencer as he got off Piper's bed.

A few minutes later he was carrying Piper into the kitchen where Olivia was already making pancakes while the twins munched on bananas just as William stepped into the kitchen.

"When did you get in?" asked William.

"Got home at 10:27 last night." said Spencer as he placed Piper in her booster seat and started peeling a banana for her so she could start eating.

Olivia looked at the clock before looking at her husband who was still wearing his pajamas.

"Do you have to go in today?" asked Olivia.

"I have to be in by noon." said Spencer as he started to help Olivia with breakfast.

A few minutes later everyone was eating breakfast, and when Piper accidentally dropped her fork onto the floor she spoke up.

"Fuck." mumbled Piper.

Spencer, Olivia, and William looked at Piper in shock.

"When did you learn that word?" asked Spencer.

"I hear mommy say it yesterday en she drop her car keys." said Piper.

"We don't ever want to hear you say that word again since it's a bad word." said Spencer sternly as he got up to get Piper a new fork.

"Sorry daddy." said Piper as she took the fork from her daddy.

Spencer looked at the nearly 20 month old twins who were watching with wide eyes.

"You two don't repeat that word either." said Spencer.

Albert and Ava nodded as Spencer looked at his wife.

"And you didn't tell any of the kids not to say that word?" asked Spencer.

"I didn't know that Piper was nearby." said Olivia.

Spencer smirked at his wife.

"Your punishment will happen tonight after the kids are asleep." said Spencer.

"Are you going to spank me?" asked Olivia.

"After the kids are asleep." said a smirking Spencer as his face heated up a bit.

At that moment William choked on his coffee while Olivia deeply blushed, and when William was able to breathe again he looked at his grandchildren.

"What do you say about going to the aquarium to see Nemo and Dory?" asked William.

"Yay." said Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were helping William bundle up the kids, and when all three toddlers were secure in their car seats William looked at his son and daughter in law.

"I will be back with the kids after lunch since I will take them out to eat." said William.

"I will be at work when you guys get home then." said Spencer.

William got into the driver's seat, and a few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were in their bedroom removing their pajamas before Spencer pulled his wife into a heated kiss.

* * *

At 11:45 AM Spencer stepped into the bullpen and headed straight to the break area. He grabbed some fruit and a bottle of water and Morgan who was pouring himself some coffee looked at Spencer.

"Based on the smile you're showing, you must have had a great time with Olivia when you got home." said Morgan.

Spencer's face turned fire engine red as a laughing Morgan walked away.


	48. Nelson's Sparrow

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to southernbeauty13 for being the 175th reviewer of this story, and also a shout out to OhSnapItsMadison and tannerose5 for reviewing chapter 47._

 _You guys will notice the changes I made between the talk between Spencer and Rossi since I had Gideon make his first appearance in chapter 38 of Love takes Away the Pain: Book One while his last appearance being in chapter 26 of this story despite the few visits he made in between that I didn't include in this story._

 _I'm going to have it that Gideon was Jewish based on his last name, a younger Gideon saying Mazel in the episode, and Mandy Patkin being Jewish in real life._

* * *

Spencer and Olivia laughed at the sight of Piper, Albert, and Ava dancing around to the song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams that Olivia turned on and set to repeat mode.

"I can't believe that in a few days, the twins will be four months from turning two." said Spencer.

"Me either, and when they turn two I'm going to miss having babies around." said Olivia.

"Speaking of babies, do you think we will be ready to try for another baby after Piper turns three?" asked Spencer.

"Since it will nearly be a year since losing Taylor, I think we will be ready." said Olivia.

"Only JJ and Garcia know about our loss, but I'm thinking that around Valentine's Day I will tell the rest of the team since we're just planning on spending the holiday with the kids instead of doing something big." said Spencer softly.

"That will probably be a good idea." said Olivia before pulling her husband into a kiss.

At that moment Piper came over and pulled her daddy's hand. Spencer looked at his oldest daughter who was a perfect mixture of him and Olivia when it comes to his eye color, curly hair, nose, and skin complexion while everything else is from Olivia.

"Yes Piper?" asked Spencer.

"Please dance wit me daddy." said Piper as she worked her big brown puppy dog eyes on her daddy while trying to pull him off the couch.

Spencer got up as he looked at his oldest daughter.

"I will dance with both you and Ava only because you said please." said Spencer as he laughed at the sight of Albert trying to get Olivia off the couch.

"You want me to dance with you Albert?" asked Olivia as she looked at her son who was practically a clone of his father.

"Yes mommy." said Albert sweetly.

"Now that's my boy." grinned Spencer as he scooped up Ava and settled the nearly 20 month toddler on his hip while grabbing Piper's hand with his free hand before he started to dance with his two daughters while laughing.

Olivia who was dancing with Albert looked at her husband who was twirling Piper.

"Having fun?" asked a laughing Olivia as she twirled Albert a bit.

"Yes." laughed Spencer.

"Hopefully they won't fight about going to bed tonight since dancing wears them down." said Olivia.

At that moment Spencer and Olivia decided to focus dancing with their partner or partners while not realizing that William was secretly recording the dance party that Spencer, Olivia, and the kids were having.

* * *

Over eight hours later Spencer woke up to his cellphone ringing, and quickly answered the call.

"Dr. Reid." answered Spencer groggily.

"Reid, get to Gideon's cabin ASAP." said Hotch neutrally before hanging up.

Spencer put on his glasses, and a few minutes later he was getting dressed before he headed downstairs to grab the keys to his Volvo since it was time to drive it around to keep the engine running while trying to figure out why Hotch wouldn't say anything over the phone and berating himself for not leaving Olivia a message about getting called in.

* * *

Spencer pulled up to Gideon's cabin and thought back to Gideon loaning him, Olivia, and the kids the cabin for a weekend while he was on medical leave, and after a minute of silence he slowly got out of the Volvo.

Less than a minute later Spencer standing in the doorway where he noticed the covered body while inwardly thanking Hotch and Gina for having the body covered before he came inside just as Morgan and Garcia stepped in behind him.

"Are you sure?" asked a whispering Garcia.

Hotch looked at Spencer, Morgan, and Garcia and his heart broke at the look on Spencer's face as he looked at the covered body while praising himself for having Gina cover up the body less than a minute before Spencer stepped into the doorway so he wouldn't have to remember a certain sight that he would never forget.

"It's Gideon." said Hotch quietly.

At that moment a sniffling Spencer quickly turned around, causing Morgan to step aside as he rushed outside and a few less than a minute later Rossi looked at Hotch as they watched Spencer get into his car.

"You're definitely going to need to alert Olivia and let her know what's going on." said Rossi.

"I know." said Hotch quietly as he pulled out his phone to type Olivia a text message.

SPENCER'S REALLY GOING TO NEED YOU WHEN HE GETS HOME. GIDEON WAS MURDERED A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO IN HIS CABIN, AND SPENCER IS NOT EVEN TALKING. I'M PLANNING ON SENDING HIM TO THE MORGUE WITH DEREK, SO I AM PLANNING ON HAVING DEREK CALL YOU AT SOME POINT SO YOU CAN GET HIM TO OPEN UP. ~ AH

* * *

Spencer watched the coroners carry Gideon's body out of the cabin and it into a van, and a minute later he was getting into an SUV with Morgan. Before Morgan started the SUV he looked at Spencer worriedly while promising himself to call Olivia like Hotch asked him to.

* * *

Meanwhile in Washington DC, Olivia was sitting up in bed rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before noticing that her husband's side of the bed was empty, his cellphone, clothes for the day, and shoes were all gone causing her to check her phone where she saw a text message from Hotch since she didn't hear any giggling downstairs and quietly read the text message to herself.

SPENCER'S REALLY GOING TO NEED YOU WHEN HE GETS HOME. GIDEON WAS MURDERED A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO IN HIS CABIN, AND SPENCER IS NOT EVEN TALKING. I'M PLANNING ON SENDING HIM TO THE MORGUE WITH DEREK, SO YOU SHOULD WAIT FOR A PHONE CALL FROM DEREK SO YOU CAN GET YOUR HUSBAND TO OPEN UP A BIT. ~ AH

Olivia burst into tears as she realized that her husband just lost one of his mentors, and a minute later she heard a voice.

"Mommy?" asked Piper as she stood in the bedroom doorway holding a teddy bear, "Why you cwying?" asked Piper as she took hesitant steps into the bedroom before climbing up the footstool to get into her parents bed.

"You know your daddy's friend Jason?" asked Olivia.

"He gave me Rio for Chistmas." said Piper as she thought about her stuffed parrot.

"He just went to Heaven so daddy's going to be really sad when he gets home." said Olivia as she hugged Piper.

William was standing in the doorway and noticed the tears falling down Olivia's face.

"What's wrong Olivia?" asked William.

"Apparently Spencer got called in a few hours ago, and Jason Gideon was found d-e-a-d in his cabin." said Olivia.

William's heart broke for his son.

"I guess getting one of Spencer's best suits to the dry cleaners is on the agenda today." said William as he thought about the funeral that his son was going to need to attend.

"And luckily I have a dress and hat to wear." said Olivia.

"Are you going to call Spencer?" asked William as he headed over to Olivia and scooped up his oldest granddaughter.

"Aaron told me to wait for a phone call from Derek." said Olivia.

"How about I start getting the kids ready for the day while you wait for that phone call." said William

"OK." said Olivia as she wiped a tear that was falling.

William walked out of the bedroom with Piper, and after checking on the twins who were still sleeping he took Piper to her bedroom to get her dressed.

"You're definitely going to need to cheer up your daddy when he gets home." said William.

"OK." said Piper.

* * *

Morgan looked worriedly at Spencer who was gazing at the covered up body while being thankful that Gideon has came back into their lives since November of 2011 since he knew that it would have probably been worse if Gideon didn't approach Spencer after all these years away.

"Out of respect, I kept him covered." said Dr. Weiss.

"Appreciate that." said Morgan while knowing that the M.E. did it due to Spencer's eidetic memory at the request of Hotch.

"Cause of death was hypovolemic shock due to ballistic trauma. 3 points of entry- left shoulder, right abdominal wall, and right temporal." said Dr. Weiss.

Morgan decided to ask a question to get Spencer to say something.

"Did he suffer?" asked Morgan.

"Not for long. No." said Dr. Weiss as Morgan closed his eyes before she continued, "His brain stopped working before he was able to process his last breath." said Dr. Weiss and Morgan looked at Spencer as Dr. Weiss continued, "After the final shot, he was gone within a fraction of a second."

Morgan had enough.

"Would you excuse us, please?" asked Morgan.

Dr. Weiss looked over at Spencer and thought back to the times that Gideon came into the academy's morgue with him.

"Of course." said Dr. Weiss.

"Thank you." said Morgan.

As soon as Dr. Weiss left the room, Morgan looked at Spencer who was holding back tears.

"Did you hear any of that? He didn't suffer." said Morgan as he rested a hand on Spencer's shoulder as Spencer grabbed tissues from his pocket to wipe his eyes and nose and continued to sniffle.

"Listen to me. Listen to me. Sometimes you put up these walls and you block us out all except for Olivia, and you can't do that, not right now." said Morgan as Spencer sniffed again, "We need you, kid. Gideon needs you. I'm going to step right out there, and when you're ready... Let's go get this son of a bitch."

Spencer nodded nod and slipped his glasses back on as Morgan patted his shoulder one more time before leaving the room to call Olivia who answered on the second ring.

"How's Spencer?" asked Olivia as she wiped a tear.

"He hasn't said a word at all since stepping into the cabin, rushing outside, the ride to the morgue, or in the morgue." said Morgan quietly.

"Piper noticed me crying earlier and I had to tell her about Jason going to Heaven. She's already figuring out ways to cheer up her daddy." said Olivia.

Morgan chuckled slightly.

"Well it's a good thing that he has you and the kids." said Morgan.

"Where is he now?" asked Olivia.

"I gave him a moment alone with Jason, and as soon as he's comes outside I will put you on since he's already building up those walls to block everyone out, and he doesn't block you out at all." said Morgan.

Olivia snorted.

"That's because I'm his wife, and I don't let him shut down in front of me." said Olivia.

Morgan saw Spencer coming towards them.

"I'm going to put your husband on now." said Morgan as he looked at Spencer, "Olivia's on the phone."

Spencer took the phone from Morgan and Olivia spoke up before Spencer could say anything.

"Aaron sent me a text to tell me what happened to Jason, and Derek told me how unresponsive you have been. You know that I don't let you build up those walls since I'm your wife, but you really need to stop blocking out your teammates." said Olivia.

"I know Livy." choked Spencer.

"Piper's already aware the you and I are both sad right now, and she's already demanding that she, Albert, and Ava have a sleepover with us as soon as you find Jason's killer." said Olivia.

"I'm sorry that I didn't wake you up or leave you a message of some type since I had to leave ASAP." said Spencer.

"It's OK." said Olivia before taking a deep breath and noticing that none of the kids were nearby since she was sitting in the bedroom with the door closed, "Now go help your teammates catch that son of a bitch and make Jason proud, and you don't even need to ask about me going to the funeral with you since I'm already planning on going and your dad is taking your best black suit to the dry cleaners today since you haven't worn it since Strauss's funeral." said Olivia.

"Thank you Livy." said Spencer before hanging up and heading outside where Morgan was waiting for him.

"Thank you for contacting her." said Spencer quietly.

"You're welcome, and it's a good thing that your wearing your glasses since your eyes are already red from the tears." said Morgan as he reached out to adjust Spencer's glasses.

Spencer slightly smiled at Morgan's attempt to get him to smile.

* * *

Spencer stepped into the room while looking at Gideon's black book that contained a picture of Sarah with the date of her death and JJ noticed him first.

"Spence?" asked JJ.

Garcia and Kate looked over at Spencer as Kate realized that the agent who pulled Gideon out of the second lecture was actually Spencer.

""I just don't understand any of it anymore. "I guess I'm just looking for it again, for the belief I had back in college, the belief I had when I first met Sarah and it all seemed so right."" recited Spencer as he thought about the letter that Gideon left for him.

"That's beautiful. Who's Sarah?" asked Kate.

"Gideon's first love." said Garcia.

At that moment JJ recalled certain words.

"You're remembering the letter Gideon left you." said JJ.

"I'm thinking maybe he rushed back and stayed in Roanoke because he was finally happy. What if he found someone like Sarah again?" asked Spencer before leaving the room and going outside as Morgan watched him go while being glad that having Olivia talk to Spencer helped a bit.

As soon as Spencer stepped outside to look at the view while thinking about the last time he saw Gideon, and five minutes later his phone vibrated and he saw a video message from Olivia.

PIPER DEMANDED ME TO PUT ON MUSIC SO SHE COULD DANCE WHILE I RECORD A VIDEO OF HER DANCING, AND AFTER RECORDING IT SHE TOLD ME TO SEND IT TO YOU SINCE SHE WANTED YOU TO SMILE. ~ OR

Spencer played the video, and a small smile formed on his face as he watched Piper dance around the living room while performing a few cartwheels and somersaults that Allison taught her to do over the past few months, and as soon as he pocketed his phone Rossi came outside and looked at him.

"I need to check something out. Let's take a ride." said Rossi as he headed to an SUV.

Spencer knew that he had no choice but to follow Rossi, and after 10 minutes of silence Spencer finally decided to speak up.

"I was relieved when he sought me out over three years ago since my therapist wanted me to tell him how I felt about him abandoning me, and I'm glad that he was part of my kids life since Piper's birth." said Spencer.

"I know." said Rossi.

"And I know that I'm really going to miss those games of chess with him. I know I'm not being very rational, and I know I haven't seen him since he stopped by with Chistmas presents for the kids, but...I think about him all the time, and I knew he always cared for me, and now it just feels…. Empty." finished Spencer.

Rossi looked at Spencer as he thought about the phone call he received from Gideon about finding Spencer at Cal-tech.

"Yeah. But time will pass, and slowly you'll forget how much it hurts. Then maybe you'll find something else to...fill that empty space." said Rossi.

Spencer looked at Rossi.

"I don't want to find something else, but I know that I'm on really good terms with my own dad now." said Spencer.

"And that's how it should be. During the last time I talked to Jason, he told me that he was proud of how you turned out the past couple of years since you didn't let this line of work stop you from finding a girl to marry and start your own family with." said Rossi before looking at Spencer, "How old were you when Jason approached you at Cal-tech?"

"I was 17 when I went to the lecture that my academic adviser recommended I go to, and Gideon asked me about what I was planning on doing with my future after I told him about the other degrees I had in mind of earning to get back at my father." said Spencer.

Rossi chuckled at the last part since he remembered Spencer saying that he kept on earning PhDs to get back at his father.

"I was already retired when Jason called me to tell me about wanting to recruit you after your first meeting with him. And after you published your first article that dealt with this line of work, Jason sent me the journal and after reading the article I realized that I wanted to meet you someday." said Rossi before thinking of his own side career, "With how the articles you publish sometimes get you sent to speaking engagements, have you ever considered writing a book?"

"I have been thinking about writing a book since I have received letters about writing a book instead of publishing in both police and academic journals since I could use the money that I make to go towards my kids future education." said Spencer.

"With how private school is going to be expensive, I really think you should do that." said Rossi as he pulled over and looked at Spencer, "Come with me."

A few minutes later Spencer was heading down some stairs with Rossi and realized that he was never shown the building he was currently in either by Hotch or Gideon as a cadet or as a profiler.

"I've never been in this building." said Spencer.

"No need to. This was the bomb shelter back in the day. I'm sure we can find something dehydrated if you get hungry." said Rossi as he found the door he was looking for, causing a loud creak as he opened it and flipped on a light, "Damn if it doesn't smell the same. We're back where it all started, my friend. We were the behavioral science unit back then."

Spencer looked at one of the old computers while thinking back to his parents having one just like the one he was looking at.

"This is awesome." said Spencer as Rossi opened up a filing cabinet.

"They called us the B.S. unit." said Rossi as he grabbed what he was looking for and headed over to Spencer, "We were pretty organized. All right, I think this is it." said Rossi as he turned on a lamp, "Salem, Virginia, Roanoke County, 1978. Gideon was the lead on this one." said Rossi as he read the typed up case report.

"I wasn't even born yet." said Spencer.

Rossi chuckled before Spencer decided to become serious.

"Did you catch him?" asked Spencer.

"No. There was never a fourth body." said Rossi as he realized that the trip they just made helped the old Spencer appear again.

"So he wasn't obsessed with the seasonal killing. Maybe you forced him into hiding." said Spencer.

"He was to fixated to stop cold turkey. We thought maybe he was locked up or moved away." said Rossi.

"And you never saw that signature again?" asked Spencer.

"No. But Gideon must have seen something to make him leave Florida early and drive directly to Roanoke." said Rossi as he called Hotch.

"Go ahead, Dave." answered Hotch.

"Hotch, I think this is it, but I need to fill everyone else in. The last thing Gideon did was to shoot a bird painting. I think he was trying to tell us that his killer is the same one from a case we worked on in 1978." said Rossi.

"So it was someone he locked up." said Kate.

"No, those murders went unsolved." said Rossi.

"So if this wasn't about revenge on Gideon if he didn't lock the guy up, then what was this?" asked Morgan.

"Maybe he went after Gideon because he was back on the case again." said Rossi.

At that moment Spencer decided to speak up.

"The unsub was strangling 20-something brunettes. Garcia, were there any female bodies found in Roanoke County in the past few days?" asked Spencer as he didn't realize that everyone on the other end was relieved to hear him being back in the game.

Garcia started typing.

"Let me check the crystal web ball. Uh... Yes. An unidentified woman in her 50s was found in a shallow grave just outside of Salem." said Garcia.

Spencer and Rossi exchanged glances.

"Was she strangled?" asked Rossi.

"That's the mystery. There was no foul play." said Garcia.

"Was there a dead bird in her hand?" asked Spencer as he thought about Ava's own obsession with birds due to her Asperger's syndrome and his nickname for her.

"What? Eew. None of that fowl play either." said Garcia.

"What's the significance of the bird?" asked Hotch.

"Those little brown birds were the unsub's obsession." said Rossi.

"So how did Gideon get back on the case?" asked Kate.

"He saw the story in a national paper and it obviously piqued his interest. What are the chances that the same woods and the same ritual make headlines again?" asked JJ.

"But the signature was missing." said Kate.

"That's why he drove to Roanoke. He needed to make sure it wasn't just a coincidence." said Rossi.

"Well, clearly it wasn't." said Morgan.

"And this woman would have been in her 20s back then. Age-wise, that's his type." said Garcia.

"Gideon must have thought the same thing. If she was a victim, then she was held captive for 37 years. Who knows what he did to her in all that time?" asked Kate.

"What if he stopped killing because he found the victim he really wanted and held on to her?" asked Spencer as he thought about when he first laid eyes on Olivia he knew that he wanted her to eventually become his wife and the mother of his children.

"Her recent death could have sent the unsub into a tailspin. He's probably gonna want to find someone new." said Morgan.

"And if it's anything like what he did before, he may hunt and kill until he finds the right one." said JJ.

"We'll meet you in Roanoke, Dave." said Hotch.

Rossi hung up, and Spencer looked at him.

"The amusing part of having to go to Roanoke is that was where my first big case in the field was, but Gideon didn't help Hotch, Morgan, and I catch the Blue Ridge Strangler." said Spencer as he thought about the time he and Hotch spent in Roanoke attending Brian Matloff's trial.

* * *

A short while later Spencer and Rossi were conferencing in with the rest of the team as they headed towards Roanoke.

"We need to retrace Gideon's steps." said Hotch.

"We know he arrived too late to see the body, which is probably why he stayed overnight." said Morgan.

"Maybe he looked at the disposal site first and went to the M.E. in the morning." said Rossi as he looked at Spencer.

"Would he have gone to the sheriff?" asked Kate.

"Probably not, without evidence to back up his theory." said Hotch.

At that moment Garcia's computer gave off an alert.

"Oh. The Roanoke sheriff just sent me the report and a crime scene photo." said Garcia.

"Gideon didn't have this photo, but he still had a hell of a hunch." said JJ.

Rossi realized something.

"Wait a minute. Gideon had a picture. Search through his wallet. There's a picture of a girl." said Rossi.

Garcia grabbed Gideon's wallet.

"Sir, he has a lot of pictures in here." said Garcia as she noticed that Gideon kept a copy of one of the most recent Reid family photos.

"Well, look at one of the older ones, like it was from a high school yearbook." said Rossi.

JJ noticed a picture.

"Tara Burnett, Roanoke High, class of '76." said JJ.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"That's her. It's gotta be. We met her mother back then." said Rossi.

* * *

Mary Ellen Burnett looked at Spencer as he looked at a framed picture of Tara, making him picture a younger looking Jason Gideon before looking at Rossi.

"You and your partner. It's like seeing ghosts. He still had Tara's picture, you know." said Mary Ellen.

"I know." said Rossi.

"He was a good man." said Mary Ellen.

"What did you and Agent Gideon talk about?" asked Spencer softly.

Mary Ellen looked at Spencer, causing her to notice the wedding band on his finger.

"He wanted to know if she had a butterfly tattoo on her ankle." said Mary Ellen.

"Did she have that tattoo?" asked Spencer.

"Yes. And now you're wanting to know, too. So what's going on?" asked Mary Ellen.

"Your daughter's killer is still out there." said Rossi.

* * *

Spencer stood outside the library with Rossi and Morgan as Hotch and Kate approached them.

"Local cops just found her cell phone in a trash can and, surprise, no cameras." said Kate.

"And all the original reports confirm that each of the victims was taken within a mile of this library." said Hotch.

Spencer looked in the direction of the library.

"This guy's got a precise comfort zone. It hasn't changed since '78. My guess is there's another significance to this location." said Morgan.

"A library could be his ideal hunting ground- a haven for the lonely. Let me check it out." said Spencer as he walked away and headed towards the library.

* * *

Spencer entered the diner with Morgan and Kate trailing behind him and headed towards Hotch and Rossi.

"The librarian remembers Gideon. He got a temporary card, checked out these books in the morning and left them in the drop box on his drive home last night." said Spencer.

"He left the library and came here to read books." said Kate as Rossi started to take a look at the books.

"It's classic Gideon and classic profiling. He sat right here to let the unsub know he was watching." said Morgan.

"And it worked." said Kate.

"If Gideon was so sure he lured the right guy, why didn't he tell us?" asked Rossi as he thought about Gideon having their numbers.

"It's like the unsub was his white whale. He wanted to catch him on his own, and his last move was when the unsub targeted him." said Kate.

"The age of the victims has stayed the same as the unsub has aged. It speaks to his arrested development." said Hotch.

"So the question's what it's always been. Why them? Why now?" asked Morgan.

A short while later Spencer, Kate, and Morgan were sitting down with cups of coffee while Rossi paged through one of the books.

"This is it. Nelson's sparrow. It's what the unsub left in their hands because its behavior matched that of the insecure victims." said Rossi.

"So the unsub really knew his birds and where to find them." said Morgan as he contacted Garcia.

"Is there some kind of bird lovers club in the area?" asked Kate.

"Garcia, are there any nature centers or bird-watching chapters in the area?" asked Hotch.

"There's an old-timey bird-watching group called the Flappers, median age of like 89. They started in the sixties. Most of the members have gone extinct." said Garcia.

"And chances are the unsub and his victims weren't a part of that group, so where else would he meet them?" asked Kate.

"Tara was his ideal." said Hotch.

"What makes her so special?" asked Kate as she looked at a photo of Tara.

"Tara's mother said she was broken." said Rossi.

"And he knew that because he spent more time watching her than the others." said Hotch.

"So he was able to study her, not just glance as she passed by the window." said Kate.

"She was a few years out of high school when she disappeared. Maybe he knew her from there." said Morgan.

"She wasn't very social." said Spencer.

"Well, neither was he." said Morgan.

"They were both in their 20s when she was taken. If they weren't friends in high school, maybe they worked together?" asked Hotch.

"Tara's mom said right out of school she bagged groceries." said Spencer.

"I've got Tara working at Joe's on Main summer of '76 through '77." said Garcia.

"Are there any employees at Joe's supermarket who started in the seventies and are still there?" asked Hotch.

"Well, that's nearly 40 years ago in a galaxy far, far away that wasn't using my magic binary boxes, but, yeah, the place is still family owned and operated. Give me a hot minute." said Garcia and a minute later she was updating her teammates, "Ok. 3 of the people still working there are women. That leaves two males. There's a name I've heard before. Mallick."

"Who?" asked Hotch.

"Gertie Mallick was one of the founding members of the bird group. Died in 1974. Her next of kin was her nephew Donnie Mallick, who inherited her farm and... buys enough birdseed to let me know I should send you his address." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer was heading to Donnie Mallick's address with his teammates.

"Babies having babies. Zettie Mallick gave birth to Donald Allen Mallick in 1956, 3 months shy of her 14th birthday. Father unknown. When she was 18, she was sent to live in a mental health facility for schizophrenia, and 4-year-old Donnie was sent to live with his only living kin, 72-year-old wheelchair bound Aunt Gertrude. I have no school records on him past 1971, and if I do the math from aunt Gertie's death certificate, he's been on his own since he was 17." said Garcia as she thought about how well Spencer turned out despite his own mother's schizophrenia.

"The years of isolation in that house were his stressor. That explains why he was obsessed with birds." said Morgan.

"And when she died, he replaced her with Tara." said Kate.

A few minutes later Spencer was getting out of the SUV. He started going around the property and as soon as he heard a gunshot he found Rossi pointing his gun at a now dead Donnie.

* * *

Spencer approached Stephan where he handed him the rings before both men embraced each other despite it being their very first meeting before Spencer headed into the cabin. Spencer looked around the familiar sights before he walked over to the chess board where he picked up one of the pieces of the in progress game before setting it back down and heading outside where the rest of his teammates were standing, and a few minutes later he was heading to his car.

* * *

As soon as Spencer entered the house, he saw Olivia putting heated up leftovers onto the table and she smiled softly at her husband.

"Dave called and mentioned that you guys barely ate yesterday, so I decided to heat up leftovers as soon as I knew that you were going to be closer to home." said Olivia as she hugged and kissed her husband.

"Where are dad and the kids?" asked Spencer as he sat down and started eating the meal Olivia made for him.

"They left for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History since I know that you need to catch up on sleep." said Olivia as she noticed the dark circles under her husband's eyes.

"I just can't believe that Gideon's now gone. I don't regret getting to spend the past three years and two months with him instead of having no contact at all." said Spencer as tears started to fall down his face.

"I was shocked when the police told me that my parents were gone, Spencer." said Olivia as she hugged her husband and grimaced at his now greasy hair, "As soon as you finish eating I think a shower is calling your name before you head up to bed."

"Are you going to go lay down with me?" asked Spencer.

"I will." said Olivia.

* * *

Five hours later Spencer and Olivia woke up to a two and a half year toddler on top of them.

"You're home, daddy." said Piper as she hugged and kissed him.

"I am." said Spencer as he held Piper closely to him while Albert and Ava climbed up onto the bed and made their way over to their daddy who hugged all three toddlers all at once.

"Mommy say you sad." said Piper as she gave her daddy a kiss on the cheek.

"I am, but having you, Albert, Ava, and your mommy around will keep me happy." said Spencer.

"Al, Ava, and I sleep with mommy and you to help you feel better." said Piper.

Spencer sent Olivia a pleading look.

"I think that's a great idea, sweet pea." said Olivia.

Spencer smiled at his beautiful wife and three beautiful kids, knowing that they were definitely going to help him over his grief.

* * *

A few days later Stephan looked at Spencer as they entered the synagogue.

"My father would want you to sit up front with me Spencer." said Stephan.

Olivia squeezed her husband's hand, and Spencer looked at Stephan.

"I would like you to meet my wife Olivia." said Spencer.

Olivia looked at Stephan as she shook hands with him.

"I'm sorry about your loss, Stephan." said Olivia.

"Thank you." said Stephan before introducing his wife to Spencer and Olivia before looking at Spencer, "Would you mind speaking about my father?"

"Sure." said Spencer before Olivia squeezed his hand.

"I will stand with you on the podium." said Olivia.

"How old are your kids now?" asked Stephan as he thought about the photo he saw his father kept of the Reid family in his cabin.

"Piper's two and a half and Albert and Ava just turned 20 months old yesterday." said Spencer.

"We have a daughter who's a year older than Piper." said Stephan.

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, Stephan, and Stephan's wife were sitting in the front with Spencer's teammates, Elle, and Emily who were both able to make it as the funeral started.


	49. Eight Years Since Hankel & Hero Worship

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, southernbeauty13, OhSnapItsMadison, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 48._

 _I have it that Spencer has been going home every night instead of staying at the BAU like he did in the beginning of the episode since he needs to get home to Olivia and the kids, but let's just say that with the timeline of the episode Spencer also has to deal with the eighth anniversary of his abduction and torture too._

 _Just a heads up I posted a new one shot that doesn't deal with my Love Takes Away the Pain Universe or any other stories that I posted. It's called Spencer's Secret Wife and based on the response I'm getting I'm in the process of writing a prequel for it. Here's another heads up that I also have another story that's in progress since I was wondering what would happen if Spencer and Maeve became next door neighbors after Empty Planet in season 2 so please keep an eye out for that story._

* * *

Spencer was working on his last consult when he heard Olivia's voice.

"I thought that you were going to be ready when I got here?" asked Olivia.

Spencer looked up to see his wife wearing her light pink pea coat over a purple knee length dress with her visitor's badge clipped on the lapel of her jacket.

"I got carried away on this consult." muttered Spencer as he quickly signed his consult before he started packing up for the day.

"A physical?" asked Kate.

"Spencer has an appointment with his psychologist due to this week being the eight year anniversary of his abduction and torture, and in the light of recent events Dr. Andrews decided to squeeze him in today instead of waiting until Friday." said Olivia as she watched her husband pull on his suit jacket before putting on his navy blue military style pea coat and slinging his messenger bag over his shoulders.

"I will take your finished files up to Hotch's office." said JJ.

"Thanks." said Spencer as he handed JJ his pile of finished consults.

Olivia waved up at Hotch and Rossi who were standing in the doorways of their offices before taking a hold of her husband's hand as Spencer looked at his two female teammates.

"See you guys tomorrow." said Spencer before leading his wife away.

"So what should we have for dinner tonight?" asked Olivia.

"Tacos?" asked Spencer hopefully.

Olivia laughed before playfully bumping herself into Spencer who retaliated by playfully bumping into her.

"As you wish." said Olivia.

Spencer opened up the glass doors before bowing down playfully to his wife.

"After you, milady." said Spencer.

Olivia curtseyed to her husband.

"Thank you, kind sir." said Olivia before stepping through the door with her husband following behind her before they linked arms together and reached the elevators where Spencer pressed the button.

As soon as Spencer and Olivia got into the elevators, Kate looked at JJ.

"They sure make a cute couple." said Kate.

"They do, and I think it's cuter when watching Spence interact with Piper and Ava." said JJ.

* * *

Spencer woke up gasping from a nightmare of Hankel trying to bury him alive and looked to the opposite side of the bed to see a blurry Olivia still fast asleep causing him to reach for his glasses and slip them on before noticing that it was only 11:30 PM. At that moment Spencer made his decision as he slowly made his way out of bed before heading to the library where the chess board was already set up.

* * *

A half hour later Spencer was resetting the board when he heard a small voice.

"Daddy?" asked Piper tiredly as she rubbed her eyes before walking into the room and climbed onto her daddy's lap before curling into his chest.

"What are you doing up?" asked Spencer as he wrapped an arm around Piper.

"I got up to go potty, and I saw a light on." said Piper as she curled into her daddy's chest before looking up and noticed a tear stain, "You sad abot uncle Jason?"

"He used to play chess with me when I used to work with him every day, and I miss the chess matches that I used to have with him." said Spencer.

At that moment the two and a half year old looked at the board and reached for a rook.

"Can you teach me?" asked Piper.

At that moment there was a voice.

"What are you doing up Piper?" asked Olivia as she tightened her robe around herself.

Spencer and Piper both looked at Olivia with similar guilty expressions on their faces, causing her to raise her eyebrows at her husband.

"Did you wake Piper up?" asked Olivia.

"No." said Spencer.

"I go potty, and I see daddy in here." said Piper.

"Well it's time for you two to go back to bed." said Olivia as she thought about waking up to see Spencer's side of the bed empty while knowing that he was already dealing with nightmares due to the upcoming anniversary of his abduction and torture.

"I sleep wit you and daddy." said Piper.

Olivia smiled at her oldest child.

"I think that's a great idea since daddy needs sleep too instead of staying up all night to play chess against himself." said Olivia.

Spencer sighed in defeat and got up with Piper in his arms. He settled Piper onto his hip before exiting the library with Olivia who made a quick stop in Albert's nursery and collected their son before stopping in Ava's nursery to collect her.

"Why grab Albert and Ava?" whispered Spencer as he laid Piper in the king sized bed.

"Leverage to make you stay in bed." smirked Olivia before looking at her husband, "You're sleeping in the middle of the bed, and all three kids will be on either side of you or on top of you."

Spencer got into the bed, and Piper instinctively curled into his side as Olivia placed Ava on top of Spencer before settling Albert on the other side of Spencer causing Albert to curl into Spencer before Olivia got into bed herself.

"Sometimes I hate it that you use the kids against me, but I know that you're doing what's best for me." whispered Spencer as he felt Ava's right hand grip his Cal-tech t-shirt.

"Yes sir." smirked Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning Hotch and Rossi were talking in Hotch's office when they saw Spencer bring out his travel chessboard before setting it up.

"I talked to Olivia when Spencer was on his way here this morning, and she mentioned that she woke up to finding Spencer in the library playing chess against himself again, but this time Piper was in there since she got up to use the bathroom." said Rossi before chuckling, "Your goddaughter is definitely a genius like her father."

"What did Piper do?" asked Hotch.

"Piper asked to sleep with them, and Piper's request made Olivia decide that the only way to keep Spencer in bed was to have all three kids spend the rest of the night with them by having the kids trap him in bed." said Rossi.

"Did Olivia's and Piper's plan work?" asked Hotch.

"It worked even though Olivia woke up to all three kids and Spencer tickling her." said Rossi.

Hotch shook his head.

"It's a good thing that he has Olivia and the kids because he would have probably downward spiraled like he did after the first time Gideon left." said Hotch.

"I remember you telling me there were times that Spencer was staying late here just like you, and when you had enough you led him to your car before making him sleep on your couch." said Rossi.

Hotch looked at the calendar and sighed sadly at the date.

"It's bad enough that the eighth anniversary of Reid's abduction and torture is this week too." said Hotch.

"I know." said Rossi.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer was standing around the round table with his teammates as they watched recent news footage.

"An explosion happened at a Beanery Brew house in Indianapolis earlier this morning." said Garcia as she paused the footage.

"First responders are reporting 6 deaths, 16 wounded." said Hotch.

JJ who was watching a guy help a customer get outside spoke up.

"Brave guy." said JJ.

"Anyone claimed responsibility?" asked Morgan.

"Not yet." said Garcia.

"No, but Indianapolis P.D. believes it may be related to a bomb that went off in an elementary school last week." said Hotch.

"Yeah. That was relatively low yield. It claimed the life of Morton Truby. He was a custodian working graveyard shift. Authorities found traces of TNT." said Garcia as she showed pictures.

"Until today they thought it was an isolated incident." said Hotch.

"Could this be another Boston or Oklahoma City?" asked Kate.

"Beanery is a popular chain. Exactly the type of location a domestic terrorist would target." said JJ.

"The unsub wants everyone looking over their shoulder." said Rossi.

"And we also shouldn't rule out a disgruntled employee or fundamental groups." said JJ.

"At this point we can't rule anything out. Let's move." said Hotch.

At that moment everyone lifted up their go bags and headed to the elevators, and they continued briefing as they walked.

"TNT doesn't pack much bang for its buck. It'd be pretty hard to hide the amount needed to cause the damage to that coffee house." said Morgan as Hotch pressed the down button for the elevators.

"This feels like page 118." said Spencer as he gained looks from his teammates, ""The anarchist cookbook." "TNT for dummies."" said Spencer as he continued to gain looks, "The blast at the school seems rudimentary. It may have been the unsub's testing ground."

"The coffee house could indicate a drastic escalation." said Rossi.

"The book also teaches you to make Nitroglycerin, and a coffee shop could represent a steep learning curve." said Spencer.

"So this guy is either quick on his feet or both blasts were part of a sophisticated plan." said JJ.

"In that case, we can't be certain that the coffee house is this guy's finale." said Kate as the elevator door opened.

"Yeah. Which is why the plane's been ready. We can be in Indianapolis in two hours." said Hotch.

As soon as the doors closed on them, Spencer saw a text message from Olivia on his phone.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE FATAL COFFEE HOUSE BOMBING IN INDIANAPOLIS? ~ OR

Spencer lightly shook his head.

I'M ON MY WAY THERE NOW SINCE THE POLICE THINKS WE HAVE A KILLER TO CATCH DUE TO THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOMBING. I WILL TRY TO STAY SAFE, AND I LOVE YOU. ~ SR

* * *

"This is interesting. The maintenance worker killed at the school was working late installing a new circuit panel. He wasn't supposed to be there." said Kate.

Spencer who was sitting right next to Hotch on the couch spoke up.

"So the unsub may not have intended to kill anyone. And if he canvassed the site beforehand, he would have anticipated the school being empty." said Spencer.

"Exactly." said Kate.

"But with the coffee house, he struck first thing in the morning, when it would be packed." said JJ.

"Maximizing collateral damage." said Morgan.

"I don't like it. That's a pretty fast confidence boost." said Rossi.

"Successful bombers always have a practice run. Maybe the school was his." said Hotch.

"But what's his endgame? Most bombers like the attention they get from playing God. They don't go dormant, they strike again." said Morgan.

"So will this guy." said Kate.

"No one's claimed responsibility for either attack. That could point away from a fundamentalist or a fear driven offender." said Rossi.

"Maybe it's personal." said JJ.

"We'll rely on divide and conquer. Victims, witnesses, and ballistics. See if we can find a pattern so we can prevent a third attack." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer opened the door and sighed sadly as he saw victims from the bombing on gurneys. He looked at a nurse wondering if she saw Hotch.

"Excuse me, have you seen agent-" asked Spencer.

"Uh-uh." said a nurse before walking away.

Spencer walked past victims as he closed his eyes when a man on a gurney stopped him.

"Please, can you help me? I can't find my dad." said Jordan Aguilar.

"Of course. What's his name?" asked Spencer.

"Pat. Pat Aguilar. We were together at the coffee house." said Jordan.

"Ok, I'll see if I can find anything out for you." said Spencer before he tried to walk away.

"Please! I need to know." said Jordan.

"Where was your father when the bomb went off?" asked Spencer gently.

"He had to go to the bathroom, but he let some pregnant lady in first. Please, no one's telling me anything." said Jordan.

"I'll see what I can find out, OK? Excuse me." said Spencer as Hotch approached him.

"Reid." said Hotch.

At that moment Spencer approached Hotch.

"He can't find his father." said Spencer.

"There are a number of people still in surgery." said Hotch.

"Maybe we should consider cognitive interviews." said Spencer.

"Witness accounts are varied, which is to be expected. When people are more emotionally ready, it'll be a good idea." said Hotch.

"Have you seen the pregnant woman anywhere?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah, she's still in the delivery room." said Hotch.

Spencer nodded.

"We should talk to the guy who rescued her. He may have seen something the others didn't." said Spencer.

"Allen Archer. He's been treated and released. JJ and Kate are on their way to his house now. Are you gonna be OK? I need to see the M.E." said Hotch as he thought about how it's been a rough week for Spencer due to the anniversary of his abduction and torture and Gideon being murdered less than a week ago.

"I'm fine." said Spencer.

"Thanks." said Hotch before walking away.

At that moment Spencer saw a doctor, causing him to stop her.

"Excuse me, do you know if you have a patient named Pat Aguilar?" asked Spencer.

"I'm just about to notify the family, sir. He didn't make it." said the female doctor before walking away.

Spencer closed his eyes before he knew that he needed to get back to business, and when he was finished he was waiting for Hotch outside just as his phone rang and he saw that it was Olivia.

"What's up?" asked Spencer.

"You OK?" asked Olivia.

"I'm definitely going to need the kids to sleep with us when I get home since the death toll is rising." said Spencer.

"I saw that on the news." said Olivia.

"Are the kids awake?" asked Spencer.

"They are, and they were wanting to hear your voice since I told them that you went bye bye three and a half hours ago." said Olivia.

"Please put them on since I have a few minutes before I head to the station with Hotch." said Spencer.

Olivia turned her phone onto speaker, and a few seconds later he heard Piper's voice.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hi daddy." said Ava.

"Hey there, munchkins." said Spencer.

"Mommy say you go bye bye." said Piper.

"I'm in Indiana right now." said Spencer.

Piper started recounting what she has done since he left for work, and two minutes later he saw Hotch coming towards him.

"Daddy has to hang up now, and I will try and call at bedtime. Daddy loves you guys." said Spencer.

"I love you daddy." chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once before Spencer hung up when Hotch approached him and a few minutes later they were heading to the station.

* * *

Spencer was reading through files while looking at the chess board that he set up before moving a piece just as Rossi entered the room.

"Again?" asked Rossi.

Spencer briefly looked up before focusing on the board.

"Uh-it helps me focus." said Spencer.

"You know, in light of recent events, I think it's OK to give yourself a break." said Rossi before remembering the phone call with Olivia, "Sneaking out of bed only for Olivia to decide to have all three kids trap you in bed after finding Piper in the library with you?"

"I should have known that Livy was keeping you updated." muttered Spencer while knowing that if he didn't have Olivia and the kids he would probably have stayed at the BAU all night instead of leaving at five to make it home on time for dinner, "And it's bad enough that it's the eight year anniversary of my abduction and torture."

"I know, and she decided to keep me updated since this has been happening every night, and with being on a case right now you need to focus so you can get home to Olivia and the kids sooner." said Rossi.

At that moment Rossi turned his head to the TV causing Spencer to do the same thing.

"Leaving 7 people dead and countless others injured. But in the wake of horror, came to story of..." said the reporter.

"So, uh, what drives most bombers?" asked Rossi.

"Ego, craves attention." said Spencer.

"Allen Archer..." said the reporter.

At that moment turned his chair around.

"So he has to share his headlines." said Rossi as he pointed at the TV.

"He's not gonna be happy about that." said Spencer.

"He might try to reclaim that attention." said Rossi.

Spencer got out of his chair, stood up and walked over to the TV.

"The only way to do that is to strike again, somewhere he can ensure a higher body count." said Spencer.

"Or a personal one." said Rossi.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer approached Brenda and Hannah making him think of Olivia holding Piper and Ava.

"Ma'am, you need to get your daughter out of here." said Spencer.

Hannah looked frightened.

"Baby it's okay." soothed Brenda.

"Ma'am, you need to get your daughter out of here." repeated Spencer.

"No, I'm not leaving Allen." protested Brenda.

"I'm sorry, but you have to. This is for you and your daughter's safety. Please trust us." said Spencer.

"You get away from here, OK? Get out of here, please!" shouted Allen.

"Please help him." said Brenda.

"We will. Ok?" asked Spencer softly before seeing an officer approach him, "All right."

"Come this way, ma'am." said an officer as he led Brenda and Hannah away as Spencer approached Morgan.

"How the hell did we beat the bomb squad here?" asked Morgan.

"I could give you statistics, but I don't think this is the time. Are we really gonna do this?" asked Spencer as he felt fear grow in his stomach.

Morgan looked to see if their backup arrived, and he knew that he couldn't send Spencer away yet.

"Turn your cell phone off." said Morgan as he turned off his phone.

Spencer turned off both of his phones as he sighed knowing that if Olivia finds out he will be in a lot of trouble since he promised her that he would stay safer after getting shot before he and Morgan both got onto their hands and knees to examine the bomb that was underneath Allen's truck.

"Nitroglycerin." said Spencer.

At that moment Morgan stood up to his full height and opened the driver's seat door.

"No, no, no. Stay back. Stay back! Stay back. I don't want anybody else to get hurt." protested Allen.

"Stop talking. Just listen. Just listen to me. We're with the FBI and we're here to help. When you put your foot down, you triggered the arming mechanism. Now, if you move, you could set it off." said Morgan as calmly as he could.

"Where are Brenda and Hannah? Are they OK? I don't want them to die, too." said Allen.

"Nobody's gonna die." said Morgan.

Spencer who was now standing spoke up.

"They're safe. don't worry. Bomb squad's gonna be here soon." said Spencer as calmly as he could.

"I need you to keep the exact pressure that you have on that brake as you have right now. If you don't, all 3 of us are gonna die." said Morgan as he wondered if he should send Spencer away due to Olivia and the kids.

"Well, can you do something?" asked Allen.

"Can you?" asked Spencer as he thought about what if he was in Allen's place.

Morgan realized that Spencer was thinking about what if he was in Allen's place causing him to crouch down and take a look at the bomb again.

"This thing's homemade, but the framework is familiar. Yeah. Yeah, I can disarm this. I just need something sharp." said Morgan.

Allen looked at Spencer.

"I've got a knife in my glove box." said Allen as Spencer ran to the other side and remembered his training by slowly opening up the door, "It's underneath the map. Right there."

Spencer found the knife and Allen noticed Spencer's wedding band right away while remembering how Spencer spoke to his stepdaughter made him realize that the younger agent most likely has kids.

"Sir, just sit still. You're doing fine. I'm gonna get you out of here." said Morgan as Spencer made his way over to him.

"Here." said Spencer as he handed Morgan the knife.

Morgan realized that Spencer was planning on staying with him.

"Hey, kid. I think you should back up." said Morgan as he thought about Olivia and the kids.

"Not happening." said Spencer fiercely before adding, "What's the next step?" asked Spencer as he turned on his own flashlight.

"The trick is rendering the pressure sensor inactive without letting the detonator think that it's time to go. The only problem is, this son of a bitch built this thing by himself and he used all the same color wires." said Morgan.

"7 wires and you don't know which one to cut? I'm not so crazy about these odds." said Spencer.

Morgan moved the knife to the wires that he was possibly certain about.

"It's gotta be one of these two right here." said Morgan as he pointed at the wires.

"Guys, you gotta do something quick here, man. My foot is cramping up. I cannot keep my foot on the pedal-" said Allen.

"Sir, please, please. If you want to stay alive, I need you to keep that foot down and try to sit still, please." said Morgan before focusing on Spencer again, "Reid... It's probably this wire right here, if he stayed true to the original design."

"Go with your gut." said Spencer.

Morgan cut the wire, and after nothing happened Morgan and Spencer sighed as their backup arrived.

"What? Well?" asked Allen.

Spencer and Morgan stood up to their full height.

"Sir, you're fine. You can get out of the car." said Morgan.

"Are you serious? You did it? You did it? I'm gonna live?" asked Allan as Spencer opened up the car door for Allen.

"Let's get you to your family." said Spencer.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much." said Allen as he pulled Spencer into a hug that Spencer couldn't refuse to return, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." said Spencer as released Allen so he could go to his family.

A minute later Spencer was approaching Morgan.

"Rossi was right. The unsub doesn't like sharing attention." said Spencer as they headed to the SUV.

"So he's decided to eliminate Allen Archer. And now he's graduated to Nitroglycerin." said Morgan.

"Page 113. We should put the Archers in protective custody until further notice." said Spencer.

"Once the bomb squad's done clearing that house, I want to take another look at that device and see if there's anything else we can learn." said Morgan.

Spencer looked at Morgan.

"I just hope that Olivia doesn't find out about this, but she does know there are times that I will be in extreme danger and I wasn't going to let you try and defuse the bomb yourself." said Spencer.

"Just don't do that again, kid." said Morgan.

"I promise." said Spencer as he got into the front passenger seat of the SUV.

* * *

The next morning Spencer was helping sort through the truck with Morgan and Dylan Einstein.

"He really went for a bigger boom this time." said Dylan.

"I recognize the make-up. 92% Nitroglycerin, 8% nitrocellulose." said Spencer as he looked at Dylan.

"Straight out of the cookbook." said Dylan.

"Good memory." said Spencer as he stood up to his full height.

"I have a thing for numbers." said Dylan.

At that moment Spencer noticed Dylan's name badge.

"And quantum theory." joked Spencer.

"Funny." laughed Dylan as Spencer smiled a bit.

"The unsub certainly singled Allen out. He could have planted the device in his home, but instead he chose his truck because he wanted to ensure that Allen was the one who triggered it." said Morgan.

"He needed to make sure the hero died. Kill the family and they just become martyrs." said Spencer.

Morgan got into the truck.

"Well, it's a wonder he even realized that he triggered the bomb." said Morgan.

"Maybe he heard something when he stepped on the pedal." said Spencer as he opened the drivers seat of the truck to look at the pedal.

"What, and knew not to move? Come on, what's this guy got, an ex-paramilitary background we don't know about?" asked Morgan.

"Brenda Archer's first husband Grant was military." said Spencer as he got into the drivers seat of the truck, "Is it just me, or do you think it's odd that Allen ended up marrying his best friend's wife?"

"I don't know. Shared sorrow could build a bond." said Morgan.

"JJ and Kate said the house was a shrine to the deceased." said Spencer as he thought about the shrine that he and Olivia kept for their deceased relatives on their fireplace mantle.

"Well, that would explain why he kept all this stuff out here. He feels like he's living in someone else's home. That kind of man would be desperate for recognition." said Morgan as he looked at a tablet.

Spencer noticed some tissue in the inside of the driver seat door.

"He was crying." said Spencer.

"This could be why." said Morgan.

Spencer quickly read the article.

"Reliving trauma or feeling guilty about something." said Spencer.

"I think we should ask him." said Morgan.

"And his wife." said Spencer.

At that moment Dylan spoke up.

"That's what you guys do." said Dylan getting the attention of the two men who were ignoring her, "You just talk a lot."

"Well, there's also a lot of kicking down doors involved." said Morgan causing Spencer to nod in agreement.

"Sure. I'm heading back to the lab. I'll let you know what I find." said Dylan.

"Thanks." said Spencer.

Dylan walked away.

"If you didn't have Olivia in your life I would probably have told you to ask for her number because she did seem a bit disappointed when she saw your wedding band." said Morgan.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was exploring the bed of the truck as Morgan approached him.

"He ran into the coffee shop moments before the secondary blast from the ruptured gas line." said Spencer.

"Well, it could have just been an accident." said Morgan.

"So his wife is a witness, Allen races into the blaze and saves the most sympathetic person he can think of." said Spencer.

"And becomes a hero to his wife." said Morgan as he looked into a compartment on the outside of the bed of the truck, "Hey, Reid." as he passed Spencer a duffel bag.

Spencer started going through the bag as Morgan called Hotch to let him know that Allen caused the coffee shop bombing.

"Yeah, we got him, Hotch." said Morgan.

* * *

Spencer stood by Morgan as they talked to Hotch and Kate.

"Archer was a copycat." said Morgan.

"The coffee shop bombing changes the profile. We have to start over." said Hotch.

Rossi approached them.

"Eliminate the coffee shop, what do we have?" asked Rossi.

"An unsub who set TNT in a high school boiler room and Nitroglycerin in the home of the man who stole his headlines." said Spencer.

"In a boiler room that should have been empty. He didn't want to kill anyone." said Kate.

"Well, that certainly changed at the Archer house. He went for the biggest bang for his buck." said Morgan as JJ entered the room.

"The death of the janitor at the high school gave the unsub the urge to kill again." said Spencer.

"That's the bombing we need to pay attention to." said Hotch as JJ approached them.

"We have a problem. Someone leaked the location of the truck bomb to the press. Headlines are all about Allen again. The media's calling on the mayor to give him the key to the city. Obviously, the mayor isn't about to do that." said JJ.

Hotch formed a plan so everyone can get home sooner.

"He has to." said Hotch.

"What's your plan, Aaron?" asked Rossi.

Hotch explained what he had planned before sending Kate to talk to Allen and JJ to talk to Brenda.

* * *

Spencer sat in a car with JJ watching for the first bomber and heard Hotch through their comms.

"Anything?" asked Hotch.

"Nothing yet." said Rossi through his comm.

"All clear here." said JJ.

"Same here." said Kate through her comm.

A few minutes later Spencer and JJ heard Hotch give them their orders.

"Reid and JJ, get the Archers to safety." said Hotch, causing Spencer and JJ to get out of the unmarked car. A few minutes later they got the Archers to safety, and a short while later Spencer and JJ were confronting the first bomber who had already armed the bomb.

"It's over, James." said Spencer firmly as he pointed his gun at James.

"I'm the one with the bomb." said James.

"Yes, you are. You're not gonna use it." said JJ.

"Why is that, then?" asked James.

Spencer put his gun down a bit.

"You're a narcissist. You've craved power your whole life. And when you lost that, you snapped." started Spencer.

"How could all those people you call friends turn their backs on you? You didn't even do anything wrong, James." said JJ.

James stood up with the bomb in his hands.

"I didn't." said James.

"She was 18. It's not even illegal." said Spencer.

"How could they fire you over that? How could they ruin your life?" asked JJ.

"So you planted a bomb, burned down one of the schools so the new board would panic." said Spencer.

"Only you accidentally took a life. And you realized the only way anyone would ever notice you is if you killed again." said JJ.

"I should set this off and take you out with me." said James.

"You're not gonna do that." said JJ.

"Because you think you are God. And Gods don't die." said Spencer.

"You will die if you detonate that, James. And then you will never have the chance to take credit for the bombs you did build." said JJ.

"Put down the bomb so we can tell everyone what you did and why." said Spencer.

James disarmed the bomb and set it down, allowing Spencer and JJ to holster their weapons so JJ could handcuff James.

"Let's go." said JJ.

A few minutes later Spencer was leading James to a police car while JJ went to talk to Brenda.

* * *

During the flight home, Spencer had his chess board out when Rossi approached him.

"You ever gonna finish this game?" asked Rossi.

"It's a tough one. Playing yourself can be difficult." said Spencer.

"Playing a ghost even more so. He's gone, Spencer. Keeping the game going won't change that." said Rossi.

"I know. I just thought that maybe I could keep part of him alive if his last game never ended." said Spencer.

"Neither side will ever win playing like this." said Rossi.

"He hated good-byes, but you know that I'm glad that I was able to have closure for the past three years." said Spencer.

"Gideon also hated unfinished business." said Rossi as he moved to sit across from Spencer to play their first game of chess in ages, "So... Let's finish it." said Rossi as he moved a rook.

"What are you doing?" asked Spencer.

"Moving my rook since I was planning on playing with you during the flight home." said Rossi.

Spencer shook his head and smiled slightly.

"I'm probably gonna finish it in 5 moves." said Spencer as he tapped his fingers on the table before he moved a piece and removed one of Rossi's pieces, "Check."

"Don't hold your breath, Sonny boy." said Rossi as he moved another piece.

Spencer laughed, and less than a minute later he smirked.

"Checkmate." said Spencer.

Rossi groaned.

"Why do I keep on agreeing to play against you?" asked Rossi in Italian.

Spencer chuckled after he quickly translated what Rossi said.

"Because of how skilled I am at chess." said Spencer as he started to reset the board.

"So when are you teaching your kids how to play chess?" asked Rossi.

"Tomorrow since Piper asked me to teach her how to play despite being only 31 months old." said Spencer.

"I can't believe that Piper's turning three in less than five months and that the twins are turning two in less than four months." said Rossi.

"Livy and I talked about how big the kids were getting last week, and holding Piper for the first time on Father's Day was definitely one of the best days of my life." said Spencer.

"You are a great father, and don't you ever forget that." said Rossi.

"I have an eidetic memory which means that I can't forget." smirked Spencer as he tapped his head.

"Smart-ass." muttered Rossi.

* * *

Spencer stood in the bedroom doorway and he shook his head at the three little bulges underneath his side of the bed and a smirking Olivia holding her finger to her lips. He used his FBI training to quietly enter the room as Olivia signed to him that all three kids were awake. As soon as he was just by the bed he uncovered his kids who all sat up.

"Rwar!" shouted Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

Spencer pretended to be scared before laughing as Piper looked at her mommy as she realized that her mommy told her daddy.

"You tell daddy tat we awake?" asked Piper as her daddy scooped her up and hugged and kissed her before moving on to Albert and Ava.

"I did." laughed Olivia as Albert tackled her in bed.

"I asked mommy to bring you guys in here." said Spencer as he hugged and kissed Ava before turning to Albert before looking at the clock to see that it was near 10 PM before looking at Piper, "I have a date with you tomorrow young lady since I'm gonna teach you how to play chess."

"Yay!" squealed the two and a half year old toddler.

"But it's time for you three to get some sleep, and I will be joining you guys in bed after I take a quick shower." said Spencer as he grabbed some clean pajamas from his dresser drawer.

"OK daddy." said Piper.

15 minutes later a sleeping Piper, Albert, and Ava were trapping Spencer in bed and Olivia gave her husband a good night kiss before Spencer and Olivia fell asleep themselves.

* * *

The next day Piper was sitting across her daddy on the floor and Spencer taught his oldest daughter how to play chess while explaining the pieces.


	50. Scream

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, and Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff for reviewing chapter 49.

I'm not sure how many more chapters there are for this segment of Spencer's and Olivia's life together before I move onto Season 11 and Season 12 (I'm still keeping my promise of not having Spencer go to jail.).

* * *

Spencer looked at Olivia as they were getting dressed for the day.

"Is there anything special that you want to do for Valentine's Day?" asked Spencer.

"I really don't want to dress up and go out to eat, but I'm thinking about just spending the holiday with the kids going sledding, to a toddler friendly museum, and bake heart shaped cookies." said Olivia.

"We can definitely go sledding since we currently have seven inches of snow on the ground." smiled Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were rousing the kids and getting them ready for the day before heading downstairs for breakfast where William was making homemade strawberry waffles and scrambled eggs.

* * *

Kate looked at Spencer and JJ.

"This morning Chris, Meg, and I ended up having a conversation over how many guns I own. I have a total of three." said Kate.

"I have two, but I mainly carry my revolver." said Spencer.

"Planning on showing Piper's and Ava's future boyfriends your guns when they start dating?" asked a teasing JJ.

"I am, and my PhD in chemistry can be a good threat, along with the moat and draw bridge I'm planning on building, and the chastity belts that I'm going to fit Piper and Ava for." smirked Spencer.

"I have to say that I like your plans." said Kate as she thought about the upcoming date that Meg had.

* * *

An hour later Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with his teammates.

"Over the last 3 weeks, the bodies of Myia Collins and Lauren White have been found in Diamond Bar, California, a suburb 25 miles east of Los Angeles." started Garcia.

"Both victims were found in alley dumpster. Each had her throat slashed and had been brutally beaten." said Hotch.

"This guy literally dumped his victims like trash." said Rossi.

"Classic misogynist sadist." said Kate.

"Definitely looks like the torture escalates with each attack." said Morgan as he looked at his file.

"These women weren't just cut, they were beaten to a pulp. That feels personal." said JJ.

"It's possible the unsub knew both victims, or at the very least used them as surrogates for the true object of his anger." said Spencer.

"He abducts, offends, and disposes of each victim before anyone notices they're gone." said Hotch.

"He may be preying on loner types." said Morgan.

"It looks like they both have ligature marks on their wrists and ankles." said Kate.

"Which means he has a secure secondary location where he holds them captive." said JJ.

"So he could be testing how much torture his victims can take." said Kate.

"And then when he's done with his fun, if things don't go as planned, he silences them permanently by slitting their throats." said Morgan.

"The preliminary M.E. report shows that neither of the victims were sexually assaulted." said Spencer

"Maybe he's impotent." said JJ.

"Or the abuse is what really turns him on." said Rossi.

"Either way, he's enjoying their pain. And he's gonna want to experience that again. Wheels up in 30." said Hotch.

A minute later Spencer was at his desk calling Olivia.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Diamond Bar, California." said Spencer.

"You think you're going to be back for our Valentine's Day date with the kids?" asked Olivia.

"Hopefully I will be, but why don't I hear any of the kids?" asked Spencer.

"Albert is taking a nap right now and William decided to take the girls shopping with him for ingredients for our cookie making date." said Olivia.

"Please give the kids hugs and kisses from me, and I will kiss you when I get home." said Spencer.

"Please stay safe, and I love you." said Olivia.

"I will try, and I love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

"This creep definitely has a type. Both women were roughly the same age, same look. Cute brunettes are his thing." said Garcia.

"Myia Collins was single. She grew up in the area and worked at the local elementary school as a substitute teacher." said Kate.

"Lauren White recently moved back to Diamond Bar after she and her husband split." said Rossi.

"It says here Lauren recently started working part-time as a nurse." said Morgan.

"So both women had jobs in which it wouldn't necessarily be noticed if they were gone for a few days." said Hotch.

"What about friends and family?" asked Kate.

"Lauren has a sister, Heather. Myia, not so much. All her family is in Ohio." answered Garcia.

"We know this guy's good at being invisible. Both women were last seen leaving work and never made it back home." said Rossi.

"He has to be abducting them in public." said Morgan.

"Both were technically single. They could have been looking to meet new people. Maybe that was his in." said JJ.

"Raymond Fernandez used to place personal ads in the newspaper. He would seduce and rob the women who answered them." said Spencer.

"The unsub could be a lonely hearts killer." said JJ.

"Maybe he hunts his victims at places where singles hang out. You know, bars, night clubs, chess tournaments." said Spencer and his teammates raised their eyebrows at the last part as Spencer thought about how he tried to date before he met Olivia.

Hotch decided to break up the awkward moment.

"If the women turned down his advances, it could have emasculated him." said Hotch.

"You rejected me. I'm literally going to make you feel my pain." said Rossi.

"But he's not breaking their hearts, he's breaking their bodies." said Morgan.

"All right, when we land, JJ, you and Kate go to the M.E. Morgan, reach out to the families. The rest of us will set up at the precinct." said Hotch.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"How many women did you tried to date before meeting Olivia?" asked Morgan.

"When it came to work, guest lecturing, and writing articles to publish I was too busy to date, but if I did get a few dates most women freaked out when I mentioned working for the FBI and my mom's schizophrenia, but Olivia didn't freak out at all since she had a grandparent with schizophrenia." said Spencer.

Rossi decided to change the topic by looking at Spencer.

"Speaking of chess, how has Piper been handling her chess lessons?" asked Rossi as he thought about the picture that Olivia sent him of the father and daughter studying the chess board.

"She's grasping it very quickly, and I didn't even learn how to play until I was three." said Spencer.

"Have you taken Piper to the park where you usually play chess?" asked Rossi.

"I have, and a few of my regular opponents are understanding why I only show up like once a month." said Spencer as he thought about Eric's reaction to Olivia and eventually Piper, Albert, and Ava.

* * *

Spencer and Rossi followed Hotch towards Detective Davenport who was making his way towards them.

"Agent Hotchner, thanks for coming out." said Detective Davenport as he shook hands with Hotch.

"Detective Davenport. This is Agent Rossi, Dr. Reid." said Hotch as Spencer smiled and waved with his right hand.

"Welcome. Right this way." said Detective Davenport as one of the officers buzzed them through.

"Thank you." said Hotch.

"To be honest, this kind of thing doesn't happen around here. This guy has the entire city on edge." said Detective Davenport.

"A serial killer will do that." said Rossi as Detective Davenport showed Spencer, Rossi, and Hotch the room he reserved for them.

"Your team can set up in here." said Detective Davenport.

"Thank you." said Hotch as Spencer and Rossi made their way to the clear board that was already set up with a map of the city that already had a geographical profile started.

"Have any witnesses come forward?" asked Spencer as he turned around to make eye contact with the detective.

"I have my guys out interviewing local merchants, but so far we're coming up empty." said Detective Davenport.

"Have you noticed any variations in traffic patterns near where the bodies were found?" asked Spencer.

"That road's a commuter nightmare. Why?" asked Detective Davenport.

"The unsub had to know the traffic in order to escape detection." said Hotch.

"Grand Avenue's 18 miles long and runs through 4 other cities." said Spencer.

"He could have spread out the dump sites but chose not to." said Rossi.

"Both victims were found within a mile of one another." said Detective Davenport.

"That's a huge risk the unsub didn't have to take." said Rossi.

"The area must be important to him." said Hotch.

"Or convenient. What are you willing to bet the unsub either lives or works nearby?" asked Spencer.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was sitting at the conference room table when Rossi was finishing up his phone call with Garcia.

Thanks, Garcia." said Rossi before hanging up, "Well, Lauren's ex-husband Doug checked out. He's been in Seattle touring with his band the past few weeks." said Rossi as Morgan walked into the room.

"According to her sister, she was promiscuous. Said she would fall head over heels for any man who showed her the slightest amount of attention." said Morgan.

"That may rule out the lonely hearts theory. That type of unsub typically thrives off of challenge." said Spencer.

"Lauren wouldn't have given him that." said Rossi.

"You know what? There might be another connection we haven't considered. Myia was never promoted to full-time because supervisors described her as quiet and submissive." said JJ.

"Heather said Lauren struggled with needing a man to validate her worth." said Morgan.

"It speaks to both their levels of confidence." said Spencer as he thought about how much more confident he became when Olivia entered his life.

"This unsub could be targeting women with self-image issues." said Morgan.

* * *

"We believe we're looking for a white male in his mid- to late 30s who has a history of physical and psychological abuse." started Hotch.

"This unsub is a projecting punisher, which means he's victimizing women he believes in one way or another haven't stood up for themselves." said Rossi.

"With the first two victims, he caused injuries that are consistent with domestic abuse. With his latest victim, Greta Thomas, not only is she a mother, but she's an actual victim of abuse." said Morgan as he held up a picture of Greta.

"And her husband was jailed last night after an altercation at the family home." said Hotch.

"Which is why we believe the unsub's mother was the one that actually suffered physical abuse." said Kate.

"It's likely he blamed her for allowing the violence to enter and continue in the home." said Spencer.

"Rather than viewing his mother as a victim, he holds resentment towards her because of the upheaval and fear he lived with." said JJ.

"This man doesn't hate his mother. He hates the idea of what she represented." said Rossi.

"Hesitation marks on the earlier victims indicate that the unsub feels conflicted by his actions." said Spencer as he made sure to show what he meant by pointing at the crime scene pictures.

"It's possible he does not want to hurt the women he abducts, but somehow he feels he has to." said Morgan.

"Given his warped sense of justice, he may see himself as a protector of these women. He may even want them to fight back." said JJ.

"He lost control at an early age, and he's desperate to regain it." said Rossi.

"We should look at domestic abuse cases going back 25 to 30 years." said Hotch.

"Take a look at locations battered women frequent- group homes, women's shelters, legal hearings." said JJ.

"For now our primary goal is to bring Greta Thomas home alive and safe. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

The next day Spencer was going through crime scene pictures with Morgan when Rossi stepped into the room.

"Final M.E. report just came through. Take a look at the stomach contents." said Rossi as he handed Spencer and Morgan some copies.

"Saltwater, honey, ginger, and tea." said Spencer as he thought about how Olivia did those remedies when he was dealing with the reoccurring cases of strep throat that led him to getting his tonsils removed.

"She also found multiple ulcerations on the vocal chords of both victims, most likely from all the screaming." said Rossi.

Morgan noticed that the wheels in Spencer's brain were turning.

"Spill it, kid. I can see you got a theory." said Morgan.

"The saltwater could serve another purpose. Honey, ginger tea, and saltwater are often used to treat sore throats." said Spencer.

"Maybe something about their voices is what's driving him." said Rossi.

"But a sadist wouldn't go to such length to heal his victims." said Morgan.

"Especially when his final act of rage is slicing their throats." said Rossi.

"This guy's destroying the very thing he's trying to preserve." said Morgan.

"All the torture could simply be a means to an end." said Spencer.

"If it's not about the violence, what's it about?" asked Rossi.

"Their screams." answered Spencer.

* * *

Spencer walked towards Kate who was leaning against a vending machine. Spencer approached the machine and put some money in to get himself an ice cream sandwich.

"I think Peter changed his last name to Folkmore." said Kate.

"The officer's last name?" asked Spencer as he grabbed his ice cream sandwich.

"Yeah. Think about it. Whenever Peter and his mother were in trouble, who did they call?" asked Kate.

Spencer understood Kate's line of thought.

"Folkmore. He became a surrogate father." said Spencer as he and Kate looked towards the retired officer who was catching up before they walked back to the conference room.

"Aren't you lactose intolerant?" asked Kate as she gestured to the ice cream sandwich.

"Yeah, but I can handle dairy in moderation." said Spencer as they entered the conference room and Morgan groaned when he saw Spencer unwrapping an ice cream sandwich.

"Do you have your antacids?" asked Morgan.

"Yes." said Spencer as he took a bite of his ice cream sandwich.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was reading the reports.

"According to child services, Peter was in and out of foster homes. Says he carried a tape recorder with him wherever he went." said Spencer.

"In his statement of the night when his parents died, he said they were arguing. Maybe he recorded it." said Morgan.

"John never mentioned Peter giving him a tape." said Kate.

"Maybe Folkmore didn't know. Karen died before Peter could give him the tape." said Spencer.

"You think he would hold on to it for all those years?" asked Kate.

"Well, it's possible. The tape would have been his last memory of his mother, so he kept it for himself." said Morgan.

"Something must have happened to the original recording." said Spencer.

"There's your trigger." said Kate as Morgan's cellphone rang.

"He's not going to stop until he replaces what he lost." said Morgan before he answered a call from Garcia, "Hey, sweetness, give it to me good."

"I will. Peter Folkmore has only existed in the system for the last 16 years. He works at the Angel Network for Women for the last 8 years." said Garcia.

"Working there allowed him to do for other women what he couldn't do for his mother." said Kate.

"Karen wasn't the only one making distress calls. A month ago, Peter called the fire department regarding a small fire in his basement. According to insurance claims, he lost a slew of, quote, "priceless belongings."" said Garcia.

"That's right before the murders started." said Spencer.

"Do you have an address?" asked Kate.

"Work and home already sent to you." said Garcia.

"JJ and I will take the house." said Kate.

"We'll grab the others and go to the shelter." said Morgan as Spencer followed him.

* * *

Later that night, Spencer took a quick shower before slipping into bed by Olivia who woke up as soon as she heard Spencer put his glasses on the nightstand.

"Sometimes your training makes you too quiet, making me miss the opportunity of having a steamy shower with you." murmured Olivia as she smiled at the sight of her husband being shirtless for her.

"I didn't want to wake you up." whispered Spencer as he wrapped his arms around Olivia.

"Did you sleep during the flight home?" asked Olivia.

"I sure did." said Spencer.

Olivia rolled Spencer and herself over so she could straddle her husband.

"Well on that note." said Olivia as she trailed her hand down her husband's chest.

* * *

The following morning an excited Piper, Albert, and Ava ran into the kitchen and all shouted with glee when they saw their daddy putting heart shaped pancakes on the dining room table.

"Daddy's home!" shouted Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

"And I have off until Monday." grinned Spencer as he took in the sight of Piper's and Ava's t-shirts saying MY DADDY IS MY VALENTINE, "I love your shirts girls." said Spencer as he performed a magic trick to get two roses to appear out of nowhere and passed the roses to his little girls while making sure to give them each a kiss, "Happy Valentines Day girls."

"Tank you daddy." said Piper as she cradled her rose to her chest.

"Ank you daddy." said Ava as she copied her big sister's movements.

"You're welcome girls." said Spencer.

At that moment Albert, who was wearing a t-shirt saying MY MOMMY IS MY VALENTINE stomach growled just as William came into the kitchen.

"I say that we all eat start eating breakfast because Papa, mommy, and I have a few dates planned for you three monkeys." said Spencer.

"Yay!" chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

A few minutes later Spencer, Olivia, William, and the kids were eating heart shaped pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream before Piper looked at her daddy when she saw the snow on the ground.

"Can we go sledding?" asked Piper.

"That's on the list." said Spencer before looking at his dad, "Are you going to join us so we can only have one child and one adult per sled?"

"Sure, and if one of the kids gets cold I can stay with that child." said William.

* * *

An hour later Spencer was getting onto a sled with Piper, and he looked at Piper who was wearing a purple one piece snow suit.

"You ready Goober?" asked Spencer as he wrapped his arms around Piper.

"Yes daddy." said Piper.

Spencer got the sled moving, and Piper squealed with laughter as the sled went down the hill while Spencer chuckled as the cold breeze hit his face. As soon as the sled reached the bottom Piper looked at her daddy.

"Again pwease." said Piper.

"OK Piper." said Spencer as he scooped Piper up, settled her onto his hip and grabbed the rope of the toboggan just as Olivia came to the bottom of the hill with Albert.

"Having fun?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." grinned Olivia.

William reached the bottom of the hill with Ava and Spencer grinned at his youngest daughter.

"Having fun Ava?" asked Spencer.

Ava made the sign for cold, and William looked at his son and daughter in law.

"I will take Ava to the SUV to warm up for a bit, and then I will take her to the nearby diner for some lunch." said William.

"OK." said Spencer before he looked at Piper, "We're only going down two more times before we go out to lunch." said Spencer.

"OK daddy." sighed Piper.

"And after lunch we are going to the National Geographic Museum." said Spencer.

"Yay!" cheered Piper, Albert, and Ava.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer was putting a pan filled with heart shaped cookies into the oven, and as he turned around Olivia threw flour into his face causing Piper, Albert, and Ava to start giggling at the sight of their daddy's face covered with flour.

"Oh, it's on." smirked Spencer as he grabbed some flour out of the bowl and threw it back at his wife.

"If we continue our food fight Spencer, your dad will have to bathe the kids while we clean up the kitchen before cleaning up ourselves." giggled Olivia as she threw more flour at her husband causing his glasses to get covered.

At that moment Piper dragged her little brother and sister away as they continued to giggle at the sight of their parents having a food fight.

* * *

The following Monday, Spencer was eating lunch with his teammates in the conference room.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"So what did you and Olivia do for Valentines Day on Saturday?" asked Morgan.

"We just spent the day with the kids going sledding, went to the National Geographic Museum, we baked heart shaped sugar cookies, and at the end of the day we all ended up having an early bedtime since the kids ended up missing their afternoon nap since they were pretty much hyped up on sugar before they crashed during their baths." said Spencer as he thought about how much fun he had on Saturday.

"You and Olivia didn't have a fancy dinner?" asked Rossi.

Spencer knew that he needed to come clean.

"Two days after my high school reunion, Olivia woke up with severe cramping and I ended up taking her to the hospital where we found out that she was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy, forcing us to terminate the pregnancy to save Olivia's life." said Spencer.

Hotch's, Morgan's, and Rossi's faces saddened at the news while they noticed that JJ and Garcia weren't shocked, meaning that they already knew.

"How far was she?" asked Hotch.

"She was six weeks pregnant meaning that I would have been on paternity leave right now if the baby developed in the right place while having to spend Valentines Day getting used to raising three toddlers and one baby." said Spencer.

At that moment Morgan looked at Spencer.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Morgan.

"Olivia and I didn't have any emotional attachment to the baby since Olivia didn't even know that she was pregnant. We've been attending support groups while giving our would be fourth child a name as a coping mechanism." said Spencer.

"What's the name?" asked Rossi.

"Taylor since it was too soon to figure out the gender." said Spencer.

"Are you and Olivia going to try again?" asked Kate.

"We've talked about it since we're both young and healthy, and we decided to wait until after Piper turns three since we're hoping for another son so Albert can have a brother to play with." said Spencer.

"It's good to think positive." said Hotch.

"I know." said Spencer before taking another bite of his lunch.


	51. Lockdown

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, OhSnapItsMadison, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 50._

 _Sorry about this chapter being a bit delayed since I was dealing with some writers block for this story while working on my new story called Friends, Lovers, Husband and Wife, to Parents that's a prequel to Spencer's Secret Wife so please go check out those two stories if you haven't yet._

 _If any of you readers have read the one shot A New Neighbor that I had posted, I'm sorry to say that I deleted that one shot because of getting a review that was very hurtful. I don't tolerate negative reviews about my story being **not great story** , stating that **I haven't watched past Empty Planet** , and **"Do I not even watch Criminal Minds"** especially since I've seen every episode since I have seasons 1 through 11 on DVD and watched every episode of season 12. So if any of you readers are going to be writing reviews that are negative and hurtful like the one that I just mentioned, please don't review at all and just don't read the story that you don't like._

 _It's still February in this story due to the timeline I'm planning for the upcoming sequel to this story._

* * *

Spencer was working on his consults when he heard Hotch step onto the catwalk with Rossi.

"My team, wheels up in 30 minutes." said Hotch.

Spencer quickly finished the consult he was working on before calling Olivia.

"Have a case?" asked Olivia.

"Yes, and I don't know where I'm going yet since I was told that I need to be on the jet in 25 minutes." said Spencer as he started to make sure he had everything he needed.

"Well the kids are by me right now, so if you have a few minutes you should talk to them." said Olivia.

"Please put them on." said Spencer.

Spencer smiled when he heard Piper's voice.

"Hi daddy." said Piper.

"Hi daddy." said Albert.

"Hi daddy." said Ava.

"Daddy has to go away for a few days, so I want you three monkeys to behave for mommy and grandpa." said Spencer.

"OK." choruses Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once.

"Daddy has to go now, and I will try to call later to say goodnight." said Spencer before he told Olivia and the kids that he loves them before hanging up.

* * *

An hour later Spencer was in the air with his teammates heading to Texas.

"Officers Keith Rivers and Rudy Hightower, both career prison guards, both married, kids, nothing out of the ordinary." said Kate.

"The uniform itself could be the target. Kill a guard, any guard, it doesn't matter which one." said Morgan.

"And what about the sock in the mouth?" asked Kate.

"It might be some kind of warning to keep quiet, you know, like, put a sock in it." said Rossi.

"It could have also just been a gag to literally keep the victims quiet." said JJ.

"Well, either way, we're probably looking at multiple unsubs. This would be very difficult to pull off alone." said Hotch as he thought about one of the last times his team had to deal with multiple unsubs it almost cost Spencer's life.

"Multiple unsubs in a prison, sounds like a gang." said Kate.

"And gangs have gang leaders and the murders could lead back to one of them, and by them, I mean him." said JJ as she showed a picture.

"Julio Watson, founder of the Southside Crip Nation." said Morgan.

"He transferred in a month before the murders started. Wonder if it's a coincidence." said JJ as Garcia's face popped up on the monitors.

"Excuse me, sir. Even I am befuddled. I found almost nothing on this prison, but this is what I do know. The Reagan Federal Penitentiary was opened in 1969 just outside of Liberty, Texas. Oh, the irony, I know. And then it was scheduled to be shut down, but Citadel Corrections Company bought it a year ago from Uncle Sam." said Garcia.

Spencer spoke up for the first time.

"The business of incarceration is extremely lucrative and virtually recession-proof. The Citadel Corrections Company has more than quadrupled their holdings since they were founded 20 years ago. They now have 19 facilities all across the country. 59,603 prisoners in their charge." said Spencer.

"Guess I had it wrong all this time. Crime does pay." said Rossi.

* * *

Spencer got out of the SUV that he was in with Morgan and JJ when the Warden and head of security approached them.

"Agent Hotchner, it's good to see you, sir. Thank you again for coming all this way." said Warden Tate.

"Hopefully we can help, Warden." said Hotch as he shook hands with Warden Tate.

Warden Tate looked at Rossi.

"Oh, Agent Rossi, hey, it's great to meet you." said Warden Tate as he shook hands with Rossi.

"Likewise, Warden." said Rossi.

"This is our team. This is Agent Callahan, Agent Jareau, Dr. Reid, and Agent Morgan." said Hotch as he pointed out at each agent while Morgan shook hands with the Warden.

"This is Captain Shavers, head of security. He can help you with anything you need." said Warden Tate.

"Call me Dale, please. And welcome. It's good to have you all here. Right this way." said Dale.

A minute later Spencer was inside the area where he would have to surrender his revolver with his teammates.

"Gun lockers for your weapons and ammo are right here." said Dale as everyone removed their guns from their holsters and ammo and placed them in six lockers before signing a visitor log.

"Obviously we had to move officer Rivers' body, but per your request, we left everything else as is." said Warden Tate.

"Thank you." said Hotch as he shut the locker he was using.

"Thank you for coming." said Warden Tate.

"Polinsky, I want those sign-up forms logged in before the next shift. Make sure we get them visitor badges." said Dale as he and everyone walked through the gate.

"Close." said one of the security guards.

"If you don't mind, I got a few things I need to tend to, but I'll catch up with you ASAP." said Dale as the door closed to lock them in.

Spencer was walking in the back with Hotch as Warden Tate led everyone through the halls of the prison.

"I'm sorry there's no cell signal inside the walls. We had to jam it." said Warden Tate as he thought about noticing that the two female agents and the young doctor were all sporting wedding bands when Hotch introduced them.

"You got inmates smuggling phones in?" asked Morgan.

"Yeah, it's been a problem, one of many." said Warden Tate.

"What about Wi-Fi?" asked JJ.

"We got you set up as close to the router as possible, but it's still glitchy. It drives me nuts. Back when I worked on the Hill, I couldn't survive without my phone." said Warden Tate.

"I got a teenager at home who knows exactly how you feel." said Kate.

"Heh heh." laughed Warden Tate before becoming serious, "Well, we have got a good old-fashioned land line and a fax machine for you, though."

"I thought I was the only one that still used those." said Rossi as he thought about how Spencer used to be the same way until Olivia entered his life, causing him to use technology more.

"And there actually is a pretty decent signal outside, so you're not completely cut off. We'll provide all your meals. Food's not much to speak of, especially breakfast, so you may want to grab something over by your hotel and bring it in." said Warden Tate as everyone followed him.

After Spencer and his teammates arrived in the room that Warden Tate was lending to them, he connected his cellphone to Wi-Fi before typing a text message.

EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW THAT I'M BASED AT A PRISON IN EAST TEXAS FOR THIS CASE, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE'S SPOTTY CELLPHONE RECEPTION SO I WON'T BE ABLE TO BE IN THAT MUCH CONTACT WITH YOU AND THE KIDS. BUT AS SOON AS I GET TO THE HOTEL I WILL CALL YOU ~ SR

"Letting Olivia know that you won't be in much contact with her?" asked Rossi.

"I just did." said Spencer.

Hotch started giving assignments, and Spencer inwardly thanked Hotch for deciding to keep him in the room they were working in.

* * *

Over an hour later Spencer was quickly going through files while he listened to Hotch, Kate, and Morgan talk.

"There's a couple more guys that we should talk to. So far no one knows anything, but if they do, they're just not talking." said Morgan.

"Maybe this has nothing to do with gang-related activity." said Hotch.

Kate, who was reading a file, spoke up.

"The one thing they all have in common is no love for Hightower or Rivers." said Kate.

"This could be personal. Maybe someone had a beef with those two." said Morgan.

Hotch looked at Spencer who was quietly going through files while sticking out his tongue a bit just like Piper does when she's reading picture books.

"We need to complete our profiles. The answer's in there." said Hotch before addressing Spencer, "How much time do you need?"

"Uh," said Spencer as he did a quick count on the files before looking at Hotch, "126 minutes, approximately."

"Well, hurry." said Hotch.

"We should go help finish those interviews." said Morgan as he knew that Spencer would need quiet to read through those files.

"I'll join you in a minute, but first I'm gonna go outside and check in with Garcia." said Hotch as Morgan and Kate left the room before Hotch left the room himself so Spencer could have some peace.

Spencer started going through the files, and 126 minutes later Hotch came back into the room reading a file himself just as Spencer was going through the last three files.

"The preliminary M.E. report on Rivers says his fingers were broken postmortem." said Hotch.

"7 broken fingers could mean anything. The number 7 is widely regarded as being lucky, and it plays a ubiquitous role in most of the world's major religions, not to mention astrology, astronomy, literature, music. The interesting thing about the number 7 is that it's not only a factorial prime-" rambled Spencer.

"Reid, did you get through the files?" asked Hotch.

"I did, and I found a discrepancy. There seems to be a prisoner unaccounted for." said Spencer as Hotch gave him a look to continue, "Devon White. At first I almost missed it because there's not even a file for him, but I triple-checked the inmate manifest, cross-checked that with the attendance logs, and it turns out that one day 3 months ago he just vanished."

"3 months ago was right before Hightower was killed. We need to find him." said Hotch before looking at Spencer, "Piper does the same thing, sticking out her tongue out when she's reading."

"I know." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer stood next to Dale who was reading Devon's file as Warden Tate poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Devon White. I... Yeah, I-I didn't know him personally." said Warden Tate as he joined Spencer and Dale.

"I remember him. D-block. He was transferred to Nixon. That's one of their facilities just outside Pensacola." said Dale.

Spencer gestured to the file since he wanted to get through it faster.

"May I?" asked Spencer.

Spencer took the file, and Dale and Warden Tate watched Spencer read quickly as Hotch spoke up.

"Any idea why this wasn't with the other records?" asked Hotch.

"Who knows? I can't get them to do it right over at corporate." said Dale.

"We'd like to arrange to speak to him. He was here before the first murder, and that's always the most significant." said Hotch as he watched Spencer go through the file.

"I'll make some calls." said Dale.

"Thank you." said Hotch.

At that moment the radio on Dale's belt came to life.

"Wilson on C for Shavers. Captain, do you copy?" asked Wilson.

"Go for Shavers." said Dale.

Spencer stopped reading so he could listen.

"Uh, sir, we've got a situation down here." said Wilson.

"What happened?" asked Dale.

"There's, uh, there's been another murder." said Wilson.

Spencer and Hotch exchanged glances, and a few minutes later Spencer, Hotch, Warden Tate and Dale were at the latest crime scene and Spencer leaned forward to look at the victim and did a quick analysis before telling Hotch, Warden Tate, and Dale his findings.

"7 broken fingers and a sock in the mouth. This time there's evidence of sexual assault. We didn't see that with the other victims." said Spencer as he stood back up to his full height and put his hands in his pocket.

"Who was he?" asked Hotch.

Spencer recalled the face of the inmate to a file he read.

"Randall Jefferson Jones, inmate number 91751. He was a serial rapist in the 10th year of a 20 year sentence." said Spencer as he crossed his arms.

At that moment the Warden looked at Dale.

"How did this happen again? These men are supposed to be locked down?" asked Warden Tate.

"He was privileged status, sir." said Dale.

"How did a serial rapist end up privileged?" asked Hotch.

"Jones gave us information from time to time." said Dale as he tried to defend himself.

"That explains the shift in victimology and the high level of violence." said Spencer.

"Well, at least we know the killers must be someone with privileged status on this cell block, right?" asked Warden Tate.

"Yeah, that's over 100 guys, and this shot could have been called from anywhere." said Dale.

"Is there surveillance in this area?" asked Hotch.

"Not inside the bathroom itself, but the hallway outside." said Dale.

Spencer uncrossed his arms.

"All right, we'll need to review the footage immediately." said Hotch.

"You got it." said Dale before leaving the showers.

"Doing this over here is incredibly bold. It's practically a taunt." said Spencer.

"Or a message." said Hotch.

"To who?" asked Warden Tate.

"Us." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was reading a file when Hotch entered the room.

"Can't see anything on the surveillance footage. They cut the lights in the hallway and the cameras don't have I.R." said Hotch.

"How'd they get access to the power?" asked JJ.

"Same way they got into that closet. One of the guards is definitely in on this." said Kate.

"Maybe not willingly. There have been cases where inmates have manipulated prison staff with threats." said Hotch.

"Guys, I've been looking for connections between our victims, and I think I may have found something. Before our dead convict, Randall Jefferson Jones, achieved privileged status, he just happened to be cellmates with Devon White." said Spencer.

"Ok, so why does Devon's name keep popping up?" asked JJ.

"I thought the same thing, so I kept searching, which oddly enough led me back to Hightower and Rivers. They filed more disciplinary write-ups than any other guards in the entire prison, and guess who got a lot of them." said Spencer.

"Devon White." answered Kate.

"Yeah, but for relatively minor infractions- improperly made bed, non-regulation clothing. They once put him in solitary confinement for hiding candy bars under his bed." said Spencer.

"I wonder why they rode him so hard." said JJ.

"Here's the strange thing, though. He has no history of physical violence in his past, yet he made frequent visits to the infirmary for injuries related to fighting." said Spencer.

"Do we have medical files here?" asked Hotch.

"No, we need to check the infirmary." said Spencer.

* * *

Spencer was looking at a file as he talked.

"Before the CCC took over, Devon White was a model inmate. He never got written up. Not one infirmary visit. None of that started until officers Hightower and Rivers were hired." said Spencer.

"That's right around the same time they started exchanging all that money. That bank activity has to have something to do with this." said Morgan.

"If they were paying off bets, what could they be betting on?" asked Kate.

"Some kind of regular poker game, maybe." said JJ.

"Sports, maybe a fight." said Morgan.

At that moment Spencer realized what could be happening.

"What if it's some sort of sanctioned violence right here at the prison?" asked Spencer.

"You mean like a fight club? I've heard of that happening in prisons." said Kate.

"Maybe it was their own sadistic version of that using inmates." said Spencer.

"That could explain why Devon was fighting." said Hotch.

"So the sock in the mouth and the 7 broken fingers must be related to a specific event. And if I'm guessing, an event involving Devon White." said Morgan as Hotch watched a few guards walk past the room.

"Our presence here is forcing the issue." said Hotch.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer, Rossi, Hotch, and Detective Tate entered the solitary confinement area and saw a dead body.

"Oh, my-what happened?" asked Tate.

"Son of a bitch went berserk. Damn near bit my nose off. I bopped him pretty good, but I guess he must have caught his head on the door or something when he went down." said Dale as Spencer crouched down so he could identify the inmate as Dale showed a knife, "Oh... We, uh, found all that hidden in his cell. Oh, damn it." said Dale as he wiped his head.

"Go get that cut taken care of." ordered Warden Tate.

"No, I'm good, sir. I'd like to stay and help." said Dale.

"Shavers, you've done enough. Go." ordered Tate.

"Captain, I'll meet you in the infirmary. I have a few questions." said Hotch.

"All right. This won't take long. I'll come find you." said Dale before walking away.

"His name is Patrick Butler, inmate number 312773." said Spencer.

Tate who was looking in the box spoke up.

"Found the same socks, same shanks. This must be our guy." said Warden Tate.

"Well, warden, we profiled this was the work of a group. If Butler was involved, we've only found one of the killers." said Hotch.

"Well, I'm gonna go share the news with corporate. They'll be happy we're making progress." said Warden Tate before leaving the room.

At that moment Hotch looked at Spencer.

"Was Butler a violent criminal?" asked Hotch.

"Not until he came here. He was doing 5 years for using a toy gun to rob 5 banks in 3 different states, but his sentence got bumped up to 20 after he killed another inmate." said Spencer.

"Just like Devon White. Comes in nonviolent and then something goes wrong." said Rossi.

Spencer looked at the walls and something caught his eye.

"Hey, wait, guys, look at the cell number. Maybe it's not 7 fingers, maybe it's 3 on one hand, 4 on the other. 34." said Spencer.

"Well, I wonder what else must have happened down here." said Rossi.

* * *

A short while later JJ was looking at Butler's file.

"You really think this Butler guy did it?" asked JJ.

"It's possible. And our profile may have led Shavers right to him." said Hotch.

"But if this is about foul play, why would Shavers want him dead?" asked Morgan.

"He may have known too much about something the captain's trying to hide." said Spencer.

"You think the warden knows about all this?" asked Kate.

"I don't think so. I think he's just trying to save his job." said Hotch as Spencer, Morgan, and JJ all nodded in agreement.

A few seconds later Kate spoke up.

"So what's our next move?" asked Kate.

"We proceed as planned. We keep conducting interviews until we find out what happened to Devon White, and then we figure out if Butler or Shavers had anything to do with it." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was quickly walking with Warden Tate, Hotch, Rossi, and JJ as they headed towards the security room.

"He's got the entire block locked down. There's no way to get in or out." said a guard.

"Can't we shut the system down?" asked Spencer.

"It's in override. The only way to do that is from inside the booth." said the guard as he tried to open the door.

"Open it." said Tate.

"It's bolted from inside." said the guard.

Rossi started tapping on the window.

"Just open the door. We can work this out. Come on, Dale, let's do this the easy way." said Rossi.

Dale got up and removed his glasses before pressing his gun against his head.

"Dale, no!" shouted Rossi as Dale shot himself.

A few minutes later Spencer, JJ, Rossi, and Hotch rushed into the room as soon as they were given the all clear, and Spencer and JJ rushed over to Kate while Hotch and Rossi went to Morgan.

"You all right?" asked Hotch as Rossi assisted him.

"Yeah. Yeah, yeah." said Morgan as he watched Spencer and JJ assist Kate.

"You all right?" asked Spencer as he unlocked Kate's handcuffs.

Kate looked at Tom.

"It's OK. You're gonna be OK." soothed Kate.

* * *

The CSI tech held up a skull he combed out of the furnace, and JJ looked at Spencer.

"I think we just found Devon White." said JJ.

* * *

As soon as Spencer got into the SUV, he decided to call Olivia despite being in an SUV with Hotch and Rossi.

"You coming home?" asked Olivia.

"I am, and I can't wait to see you and the kids." said Spencer.

"Let me know when you get back to Quantico." said Olivia.

"I promise." said Spencer before exchanging goodbyes with Olivia and hung up.

"Excited to get home to those youngsters of yours?" asked Rossi.

"Piper, Albert, and Ava will help me forget watching Dale commit suicide in front of us." said Spencer.

* * *

As everyone got comfortable for their flight home, Spencer looked at Morgan.

"Are you sure you're OK?" asked Spencer.

"I am." said Morgan.

Spencer looked at Kate.

"What about you?" asked Spencer

"I should be fine." said Kate as she thought about an additional doctor appointment she would need to go to.

Morgan looked at Spencer.

"I'm glad that you weren't in the room." said Morgan.

Spencer and Hotch exchanged glances, and Hotch noticed a slight smirk on Spencer's face.

"Thinking about the time we were held hostage by a prisoner together?" asked Hotch.

Kate looked at Spencer and Hotch.

"What happened?" asked Kate.

"Nearly seven years ago Chester Hardwick agreed to a custodial interview a week before he was executed, but he kept us waiting to interview him so the interview could happen at the time of the guards shift changes since he wanted to kill us to avoid the death penalty." said Spencer.

"And I thought that Reid and I would be safe since I decided not to have Hardwick chained up at all." said Hotch.

"Were you two injured at all?" asked Kate.

"We both got out unharmed, thanks to Reid." said Hotch.

Kate looked at Spencer.

"How did you get Hotch and yourself out without any guns?" asked Kate.

"Hotch was about to fight him himself, but at the spur of the moment I started reciting a profile from scratch, and luckily my 13 minute lecture kept Hardwick occupied until the guards were able to come and chain him up." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"I'm still sorry about putting you in danger that day." said Hotch.

Spencer looked at Hotch.

"I forgave you since you were having an off day, and we didn't know that Hardwick wanted to kill us. But it's helpful that I do have the tendency to do some of my best work under intense terror." said Spencer as he thought about Dowd and Hankel.

* * *

Spencer entered the house and smiled when he saw Piper, Albert, and Ava sitting on the couch watching TV.

"DADDY!" screamed Piper, Albert, and Ava all at once as they got off the couch and ran to him.

"Daddy missed you three monkeys." said Spencer as he hugged and kissed all three kids at once.

"We sleep wit you and mommy?" asked Piper.

Olivia lightly shook her head at the pleading look that Spencer was giving her.

"You three can sleep with daddy and me." said Olivia.

"Yay!" chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava.

Spencer looked at the clock and saw that it was already 8 PM.

"I'm going to go take a shower and get into pajamas, and when I come back we can watch a movie so why don't you three help mommy pick out a movie." said Spencer as he scooped up his go bag and headed to the laundry room before heading to the first floor bathroom to take a shower.

15 minutes later Spencer and Olivia were cuddling with the kids on the couch while they watched "Mr. Peabody and Sherman".


	52. Rock Creek Park

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, tannerose5, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 51._

 _I decided to skip Breath Play (Since what's mentioned in the episode would most likely cause me to change the rating from Teen to Mature and I want to keep this story rated Teen) and go straight to Rock Creek Park, but I still have Kate pregnant._

 _I made sure that Spencer wouldn't cheat on Olivia since I wrote in a way for Dorian Loker to find out that Spencer's married with kids in this universe much sooner before she would ask him to summarize a book for her._

 _It's now the first week of March in this story so Albert and Ava are now 21 months old._

* * *

Spencer, Olivia and Albert entered Cost Cutters, and the barber who usually cuts Spencer, Olivia's, Piper's, and Ava's smiled when he saw Albert settled on his daddy's hip.

"I see that someone's finally here for his first haircut." said Roger as he took in the sight of Albert's longish curly brown hair.

"I'm getting a haircut too." said Spencer as he set Albert onto the floor.

"So where are your two little girls?" asked Roger.

"They're spending the afternoon with their grandpa." said Olivia as she sat down in a nearby chair.

"Who wants to go first?" asked Roger.

Spencer knelt down so he could look at his 21 month old clone who was wearing jeans and Cal-tech sweatshirt just like him.

"Do you want me to go first or do you want to go first buddy?" asked Spencer.

"You, daddy." said Albert.

"I'm planning on it buckaroo." said Spencer as he tickled the 21 month old toddler's belly, causing him to giggle.

A minute later Spencer was sitting in the chair, and after describing the haircut he wanted the barber got started right away. When Roger was finished Olivia let out a loud wolf whistle, causing her husband to blush while Albert giggled at how red his daddy's face was getting.

"I love it." said Olivia as she watched her husband put his glasses back on.

Spencer who was now kneeling down to his son's eye level looked at his son as he removed Albert's glasses.

"What do you say about getting the same haircut as me so you can continue to look like me?" asked Spencer as he lifted Albert up and placed him in the booster seat that Roger put in the chair.

"Yes." said Albert.

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" asked Spencer as he thought about how he had to hold Piper's hand when she got her first trim at eight months old.

"Yes." said Albert.

Roger started cutting Albert's hair for the first time while Olivia was crying at the sight of her son getting his very first haircut, and after Roger finished cutting Albert's hair, he made sure to hand Olivia some a lock of Albert's hair for his baby book.

"My little man." said Spencer as he gave his son a high five before looking at Olivia, "So what do you think about your two favorite boys new dos?"

"I need to take a picture so you can show off Albert's new haircut at work." said Olivia.

Spencer knelt down on the floor and wrapped an arm around his son. Less than a minute later Olivia had two pictures of Spencer and Albert smiling and sticking out their tongues.

"Don't send the photo to my teammates or post it on Facebook because I want to surprise my teammates on Monday since I haven't mentioned that Albert was going to get his first haircut." said Spencer.

"I promise." said Olivia as she sent the photo to her husband while making a mental note to show her husband how much she loves his new hair cut after the kids are in bed for the night.

* * *

Two days later, Spencer walked up to his desk just as JJ and Kate looked up and they noticed that Spencer got his hair cut a bit shorter while still leaving the curls.

"You got your hair cut, Spence." said JJ.

"Olivia decided that Albert was ready for his first haircut, and we decided that I was overdue for one." said Spencer.

"Have a picture of Albert?" asked JJ.

"I sure do." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and showed his two female coworkers the picture of him and Albert together.

"Matching sweat shirts and haircuts." said Kate.

"Albert wanted his haircut to be just like mine." said the proud father.

"He looks up to you, Spence." said JJ.

"I just can't believe that he and Ava are already 21 months old." sighed Spencer.

"And I can't wait to for this baby to be born." said Kate as she rubbed her growing belly.

"It will be worth it." said JJ.

At that moment Hotch and Rossi stepped out of their offices, after heading down the stairs Hotch looked at Spencer.

"When did you get your hair cut?" asked Hotch.

"On Saturday when Livy and I decided to have a date with Albert while my dad decided to have a date with Piper and Ava." said Spencer.

"So that means that Albert got his first haircut?" asked Rossi.

"He sure did, and he decided to have his haircut match mine." said Spencer as he showed Hotch and Rossi a picture of him and Albert together before walking away to show Morgan and Garcia the picture of him and Albert together.

* * *

At 3 AM the following morning, Spencer stood in the conference room as Garcia showed a picture of Sophie Troy.

"And that was the last known sighting of Sophie Troy, at 2:37 PM on a surveillance video. She was coming from having lunch with her husband, and she was going home using the congressional underground tunnels." said Garcia as Hotch came into the room.

"Ok, so it's 3 AM now. She's been gone a little over 12 hours. That doesn't qualify as a missing person yet." said Kate.

"The director's personally asked us to handle the case." said Hotch.

"Her husband is Congressman Benjamin Troy, which makes her a VIP." said Rossi.

Everyone was silent for a few seconds.

"Well, the question is, who's the real target, Sophie or her husband? I mean, is this an attempt to influence him?" asked Morgan.

"Well, the Congressman isn't very high profile. It's his first term, and he has views which have made him unpopular on both sides of the aisle." said JJ.

"Sophie's a healthcare lawyer on the DC museum board. What was her schedule after lunch? Do you know?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah. She was gonna go home, and then she had a foundation meeting at 7:00. She didn't make either." said Garcia.

"Then when she wasn't home by 12:30, the Congressman called family and friends before contacting Capitol police at 1:45. We were notified a half an hour later." said Hotch.

Spencer walked towards the screens.

"Let's go back to her last sighting. Do we have the surveillance footage from the other side of the stairwell?" asked Spencer.

Garcia played the footage again.

"Yeah. That would be the Library of Congress lobby and there's no sign of her." said Garcia.

"It's like she vanished into thin air." said JJ.

"Guys, it is possible she just left of her own accord." said Kate.

"But we have to assume it's a kidnapping unless proven otherwise." said Rossi.

"Well, we know she was on the phone before she disappeared." said Morgan.

At that moment Hotch's phone rang, and he saw a text.

"We need to pull all her email and cell phone records. The Congressman's here." said Hotch before leaving the room.

* * *

Garcia was showing video footage as Spencer carefully watched.

"See that shadow on the wall? It shifted as the sun went down, but now it's back. The video was on a 6-hour loop before it repeated, which is why no one noticed it right away." said Garcia.

"So this was organized and premeditated." said Morgan.

"Ok, so even though this isn't the real footage, the lobby would have been crowded with tourists at the time. How was she taken in broad daylight from a public place?" asked JJ.

"Ironically, it may have been easier to kidnap her in a crowd. It's noisy, hard to see, people are distracted. If she was injected with a sedative, the kidnappers might just look like friends or family helping someone who was feeling ill." said Spencer as Hotch came into the room with Congressman Troy.

"We'll set up a trace phone, and I've already got agents looking into terrorism and organized crime connections. I also need to know on what committees you sit and what pending bills might be influenced by your vote." said Hotch.

"Right. I'm on the energy subcommittee. There's a vote in two days to ban fracking on the Pacific Coast." said Congressman Troy.

"Where do you stand on the issue?" asked Morgan.

"I'm for the ban, but I've been getting pressure from the oil companies to vote against it. They're not the most subtle people in the world. Do you think maybe they have something to do with this?" asked Congressman Troy.

"Well, just to be safe, I think you and your family should stay here in protective custody until we get a better handle on things." said Hotch.

"Ok. It's just my brother and my mother. They're in Georgetown." said Congressman Troy.

"They live together?" asked Spencer.

Congressman Troy looked at Spencer.

"Paul just got out of rehab a couple of months ago. He's staying with her till he gets back on his feet." said Congressman Troy.

"We'll arrange to have them picked up." said Hotch before looking at Anderson who was already in the room, "Agent Anderson, will you please show the Congressman where he can stay?"

"Sure. Congressman, right this way." said Anderson.

As soon as Congressmen Troy left the room, JJ spoke up.

"So, uh, we confirmed the Congressman was in his office all afternoon. There was nothing unusual about his behavior." said JJ.

"And he's responding appropriately." said Hotch as he answered his ringing phone, "Yeah, Dave, what have you got? We'll be right down." said Hotch before looking at his team, "Organized crime may have a lead on the case." said Hotch as he motioned Spencer to follow him.

A short while later Spencer was in a room with Rossi and Internal Affairs Agent Fuchs. They listened to a recording before Agent Fuchs stopped the recording so he could look at Hotch, Rossi, and Spencer.

"Which translates into, "he'll call us, we just sit tight."" said Agent Fuchs.

"These are low-level guys?" asked Hotch.

"Foot soldiers in the Mikhalov Bratva, a Russian crime ring that deals in illegal arms. We intercepted a container of Stinger missiles about 6 months ago they were gonna ship to Syria. Been trying to infiltrate the ring since then, figure out who the major players are." said Adam Fuchs.

"Where is the wiretap?" asked Spencer.

"In their apartment. This recording is from a week ago." said Fuchs.

"And you think it's connected to Sophie Troy?" asked Rossi.

"Well, here's what we know. These low-level guys often do freelance work to pad their income. You need somebody for an unsavory job, this is who you call." said Fuchs.

"1-800-thug." said Rossi.

"Yeah, pretty much. This kidnapping they're talking about was gonna go down around now." said Fuchs.

"Well, probably not a coincidence." said Hotch.

"According to Loker, our agent on site, they're still waiting for Dyadya, which means uncle, to call." said Fuchs.

"Any idea who uncle is?" asked Spencer.

"No. We've been trying to I.D. him, but no luck so far." said Fuchs.

"I think we need to be on this." said Rossi.

"You're welcome to join us as long as you don't jeopardize our case." said Fuchs.

"Understood." said Hotch before looking at Spencer, "Since you're fluent in Russian, you should go join Agent Loker."

"Yes sir." said Spencer.

Hotch looked at Spencer.

"You should probably grab the lunch you brought in with you this morning so you can heat it up at the apartment since you won't be able to order take out." said Hotch.

"OK." said Spencer as he inwardly thanked Olivia for putting portions of the previous night's dinner into the fridge for him.

Agent Fuchs gave Spencer the address, and Spencer walked out of the room to head back to the BAU so he could grab what he needed.

* * *

At 7:22 AM, Spencer arrived at an apartment building that Agent Loker was currently in. After climbing some stairs he knocked on a door and heard it unlock. A few seconds later it opened, revealing a red head woman.

"Hi. Um, I'm looking for Loker." said Spencer.

Loker closed the door to unlatch the chain before letting Spencer in.

"Thanks." said Spencer as he stepped into the room.

"I'm Dorian Loker. You must be from the BAU?" asked Loker as she held out her hand for Spencer to shake.

"Yeah, I'm Spencer- I don't really shake hands." said Spencer as he clutched the straps of his messenger bag with both hands.

Loker patted his hand.

"Great. So we're set up in here." said Loker as she removed her robe and showed Spencer around, "The apartment's directly across the courtyard. The guys just left to get breakfast."

"What do we know about them?" asked Spencer as he followed Loker into the room where she was lifting up a bed to show the work she has done so far.

"Roman Azarof and Taras Yudin work at a trucking company in Anacostia, but really it's just a front for the Russian mob." said Loker as Spencer removed his messenger bag from around his shoulders before removing his scarf, "Roman's bad news. He assaulted a shopkeeper with a chainsaw back in 2008."

"Which one has the uncle that may have kidnapped Sophie Troy?" asked Spencer.

Loker pointed at the picture.

"Taras. But uncle is a loose term. As far as we know, Taras has no blood relatives in the US. He's only been here two years. It could be any older figure in this crime network." said Loker before looking at Spencer, "Please tell me that you speak Russian so this isn't a big waste of time." said Loker in Russian.

Spencer quickly translated what Loker said in his mind before replying.

"Don't worry, I do." answered Spencer in Russian.

"Good." said Loker as she uncovered some equipment, "There's a lot of down time in surveillance. I hope you brought something to read."

At that moment Spencer noticed Loker's book.

"Great Expectations." You like Charles Dickens?" asked Spencer.

"Believe it or not, I haven't read him before. Figured it was high time to change that." said Loker as she looked at her book.

"He's great. That moment where Pip finally learns that Estella was always groomed to break men's hearts always." said Spencer.

"I haven't gotten there yet." said Loker.

"Oh, well, I think you're gonna like that part." said Spencer as he nodded.

"Terrific." said Loker as she passed Spencer her book "I'm gonna go put on a fresh pot of coffee." said Loker before walking to the kitchen area.

A few minutes later Spencer was fixing himself a cup of coffee just as his cellphone rang and he saw that it was Olivia.

"What's up?" asked Spencer.

"You not home when I wake up." said Piper.

Spencer frowned causing Dorian to look concerned.

"Piper Ann Reid, did you take mommy's phone again instead of asking her to call me?" asked Spencer as he used a stern tone for Piper.

At that moment Dorian noticed the wedding band on Spencer's left ring finger, causing her to realize that he's married and a father.

"Yes daddy, and I want you to play wit me today." said Piper.

Spencer sadly sighed as he knew that Piper was most likely pouting over the phone.

"You know that I'm on call 24 hours a day seven days a week, and there will be times that I will be called in when you're asleep. Last night was one of those times, and when I come home I will play with you." said Spencer.

"Sorry daddy." said Piper.

"It's OK Piper, but please put mommy on." said Spencer as he kept his voice stern.

Spencer heard rustling before hearing Olivia's voice.

"I didn't even know that she took my phone again." said Olivia.

"It's OK Olivia, and I have a feeling you probably saw the news, causing you to figure out why I was called in." said Spencer.

"I did, so I will let you get back to helping your team find Congressman Troy's wife. I love you." said Olivia.

"Love you too." said Spencer before hanging up.

As soon as Spencer pocketed his phone he looked at Dorian.

"Sorry about that. My oldest child decided to take my wife's cellphone since she was upset about waking up to find out that I had to leave in the middle of the night." said Spencer.

"It's OK." said Dorian before deciding to ask Spencer about Piper, "How old is Piper?"

"She's turning three in June, and she took my wife's phone last week and called me while I was in Wisconsin." said Spencer.

"Any other kids?" asked Dorian.

"A set of fraternal twins named Albert and Ava who will be turning two on May 29th." said Spencer as he showed a picture he took of his kids the day before to Dorian.

Dorian looked at the picture before looking at Spencer.

"They're so adorable. Albert is definitely a clone of you, and Piper has your eyes and curls." said Dorian.

"I know." said Spencer.

"It must be hard having to be on call 24/7 while being a father to three kids under the age of three." said Dorian.

"It is since I end up missing out on hearing the new words that my kids learn, helping my wife cook dinner, help bathe three messy toddlers after dinner, tucking my kids in at night. But I make being a federal agent and a parent work by the help of Skype and talking on the phone since I always carry my laptop or personal tablet with me, and when it comes to having a unit chief who's also a parent he makes sure that I talk to my wife and kids every day while I'm on the road while I focus on being a husband a father when I'm home." said Spencer.

"Your wife must be a saint to handle three toddlers while you work for a unit that requires traveling all over the country." said Dorian.

"After finding out about the twins, my dad decided to retire and move in with my wife, kids, and I to help us out since no one wanted me to leave the BAU." said Spencer as he quickly grabbed his messenger bag and grabbed a Tupperware container that contained dinner from the night before, "Mind if I put this in the fridge so I can heat it up later?" asked Spencer.

"Go ahead." said Dorian.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was looking out the window to look at the courtyard of the apartment he and Dorian were watching before looking at Loker who was typing on her laptop.

"What's the layout of their place?" asked Spencer.

"Same as this one. The satellite dish outside the window is actually one of our parabolic mikes." said Dorian as she noticed that the people they were observing came back, "They're back." said Loker as she grabbed a headphone.

Spencer noticed a woman.

"It's a woman." said Spencer.

"It's their cleaning lady, Fana." said Loker.

Spencer pressed one of the headphones he was given against his ear so he could listen to Fana speak. He listened to Fana speak before being thankful for understanding what Fana was saying.

"She's speaking Yoruba. It's a western Nigerian dialect. She's talking to her mother." said Spencer before translating what he was hearing Fana say before Roman and Taras entered the building and both Spencer and Dorian listened to the conversation.

After listening to the conversation, Spencer set his headphones down and grabbed his cup of coffee.

"You speak Yoruba?" asked Dorian.

Spencer took a sip of his coffee.

"I can get by. This is really good coffee, by the way. Coffee's a language in itself." said Spencer as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Who said that? Dickens?" asked Dorian as she realized that she was feeling slightly jealous that Spencer was already married and had a family.

"Jackie Chan." said Spencer.

* * *

A couple of hours later Spencer was doing sketches of the men he saw and was posting them on the wall of the apartment when his cellphone rang. He saw that it was Garcia.

"Hey, Garcia, what do you have?" asked Spencer.

"Taras Yudin is a very horrible meanie." said Garcia.

"What did he do?" asked Spencer.

"In 2012 he was questioned in the brutal killing of a gang member's family in his hometown of Volga, but then there wasn't enough evidence, so the charges were dropped, and he left Russia." said Garcia.

"Is there anyone else from his hometown in DC? Someone must have helped him when he first arrived here. It could be Dyadya." said Spencer.

"Oh, it's hard to tell with all the disposable cell phones he uses, but keep looking will I." said Garcia.

"All right, thank you so much, Garcia. Bye." said Spencer before hanging up.

Dorian decided to alert Spencer.

"Something's going on." said Dorian.

Spencer went to join Dorian as she turned up the volume.

"Dyadya told you he'd get two million ransom?" asked Roman.

"Yeah." said Taras.

"That's not what I heard at the club. I heard Dyadya's getting 20 million. 20 million. That's a lot of money. Son of a bitch has been lying to you. And what was he gonna give us, a measly 5 grand?" asked Roman.

"I don't believe it." said Taras.

"You don't believe it, talk to Ivan." said Roman before Spencer and Dorian heard a door shut.

"Who's Ivan?" asked Spencer.

"A bartender at the local strip club. We have a source down there." said Dorian.

Spencer quickly pulled out his phone to call Hotch.

"Hotch, hey, the ransom changed. It used to just be two million." said Spencer.

"All right, Reid. Thank you." said Hotch before hanging up.

* * *

Nearly six hours later Spencer was still doing sketches while he and Dorian listened.

"Ah, where the hell have you been?" asked Roman.

"I went to the store. You needed more detergent." said Fana through the speakers.

"Well, you better start cleaning more." said Roman.

"I've been doing it." said Fana.

"This place is a pigsty. What are we paying you for? You smell like something. What is it?" asked Fana.

"Bleach probably." said Fana.

"No, no, it's more like perfumy. It's like the woods or flowers or something." said Roman.

"Please-" protested Fana.

"But is good. I like. Come, come and dance with me." said Roman.

"Stop it, please!" shouted Fana.

Spencer heard some type of hitting.

"Come on." said Roman.

"Leave me alone!" shouted Fana.

"You've been teasing me for months. You little bitch. You think you're too good for me?" asked Roman.

"We should do something." said Spencer.

"We can't." said Dorian.

"He's beating her up." protested Spencer.

"You bust in there, you blow the entire case. Yours and mine. Think of the big picture. You want to kill Sophie Troy, or thousands of people if the missile shipment gets out?" asked Dorian.

Spencer stayed put since Dorian was right.

"Uhh!" shouted Fana.

At that moment they heard a door open.

"What's going on?" asked Taras.

"Nothing. She was getting smart with me, but, uh, she learned her lesson. Go. Go! Clean yourself up. Well?" asked Roman.

"You're right. Dyadya's getting 20 million." said Taras.

* * *

A short while later Dorian and Spencer were listening to Roman's side of phone call.

"Hello. No, he can't talk right now. He's in the bathroom. Who's this? Ah, you're Dyadya. No, I didn't know. Uh-huh. Yeah. I'll tell him." said Roman before hanging up, "Dyadya just called."

"Oh, yeah? What did he say?" asked Taras.

"He said he left two messages. Wants to know why you haven't called him back yet." said Roman.

"I didn't get them." said Taras.

"Or maybe you did and just didn't tell me?" asked Roman.

At that moment Spencer and Dorian heard Taras laughing.

"Seriously? Come on, now, you drunk. Roman, it's me." said Taras.

"He wants us to meet him in an hour with a truck. We're supposed to bring ski masks." said Roman.

"All right, let's go." said Taras.

They heard Fana gasp.

"What the hell? Are you spying on us?" asked Roman.

"Why are you hiding in the closet?" asked Taras.

"This isn't good." said Spencer.

"How long you been in there, huh? What did you hear?" demanded Roman.

"Nothing, I swear." said Fana.

"Who do you work for?" asked Roman.

"I think they're just messing with her. They won't hurt her." said Dorian.

We don't know that." said Spencer.

At that moment Spencer's cellphone rang and saw that it was Rossi.

"Who is it?" asked Roman.

At that moment Spencer answered his phone.

"Rossi, hold on." said Spencer as he put his phone on speaker so Dorian could hear.

"Can't. Clock's ticking and you've got our best lead on the kidnappers." said Rossi.

"There's no one." said Fana.

"You're a lying bitch. It's the damn feds, isn't it?" asked Roman.

"She has to die." said Taras.

At that moment Spencer got up and sprinted to the door, causing Dorian to follow him.

"Reid, are you there?" asked Rossi as he heard a gunshot.

Dorian grabbed Spencer.

"Stop, stop. Listen." said Dorian.

"Is he dead?" asked Fana.

"Yeah." said Taras.

"Reid, what's going on?" asked Rossi.

Spencer put his phone closer to his mouth.

"It's more complicated than we thought." said Spencer.

"You go in there and arrest those guys right now." ordered Rossi.

"Roman's dead. Just wait a minute." said Spencer.

"I should have killed him sooner, sweetheart." said Taras.

At hat moment Spencer looked at Dorian.

"Are they..." asked Spencer as he continued to listen.

"Yeah, I think so." said Dorian.

"Get your things. We're leaving." said Taras.

"What about Dyadya?" asked Fana.

"His contact is pissed that he asked for more ransom, but she'll pay if the wife is dead. We're supposed to pick up the body and dump it. But listen to me. We don't have to do any of this. We can take the money, or we can run away." said Taras.

Spencer put his phone by his ear.

"Rossi, the unsub's a woman. I don't think we should arrest anyone yet. They're leaving now. They might lead us to Sophie." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

The following morning Spencer was back at the apartment helping Dorian pack up her equipment.

"That should do it." said Dorian as the last piece of equipment was packed up before looking at Spencer, "Hey, thanks for coming back to clean up. You didn't have to."

"No worries. My wife suggested that I be the type of gentleman I am and help you pack up while apologizing for almost rushing in there to save the wrong girl, as it turns out." said Spencer.

Dorian laughed.

"You could have been right. One of the hardest things about surveillance is not taking action. You listen, you analyze, and then you force yourself to do nothing." said Dorian.

"I imagine that's really hard. Oh, and sorry also about ruining "Great Expectations" for you." said Spencer.

"You just saved me about 20 hours." said Dorian as she packed up some papers before looking at Spencer, "I would ask you to summarize "Bleak House" for me, but I don't want to keep you from spending the short amount of time that you have with your wife and kids since you're practically on call 24/7." said Dorian as she thought about a few of the pictures that Spencer showed her.

"I know, and having a wife and kids to go home to helps me cope with the horrors I see while working for the BAU." said Spencer.

"It was nice working with you Spencer, and hopefully we can work together again sometime." said Dorian as she held out her hand to shake.

"I hope so, too." said Spencer as he shook Dorian's hand, knowing that he made a new friend outside the BAU.

* * *

An hour later Spencer entered his house, and Olivia looked at her husband who was exhausted.

"Why don't you go take a shower and take a nap for a few hours." said Olivia.

"Where are the kids?" asked Spencer.

"Piper asked to go see Nemo and Dory, so William and Ava's occupational therapist decided to take the kids to the aquarium." said Olivia.

Spencer headed upstairs and took a quick shower before crawling into bed while knowing that he has three excited toddlers who will be happy to see that he's home.


	53. Chapter 53

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Guest, Mrs. JaganshiReidofHufflepuff, and southernbeauty13 for reviewing chapter 52._

 _Albert and Ava are now 22 months old._

 _Even though I've seen a few Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders episodes, I can't wait to see Simmons be a main character in season 13 of Criminal Minds._

* * *

Spencer was packing up his desk, and Spencer looked at JJ and Kate.

"I will see you ladies on Monday." said Spencer.

"Taking some time off to spend with your family?" asked Kate.

"It's my mom's and uncle's Gordon 65th birthday this Saturday, so dad, Olivia, the kids, and I are flying to Las Vegas tomorrow morning to celebrate." said Spencer.

"I take it that it's hard to take three kids under the age of three on a plane." said Kate.

"The last time the twins were on a plane was during their first Christmas, but this time my dad, Olivia, and I are planning that we each have a child to entertain and Rossi insisted on paying for the plane tickets." said Spencer.

"That's sweet of Rossi." said Kate.

"He doesn't take no for an answer when it comes to paying for the plane tickets to Vegas to visit my mom." said Spencer as he slung his messenger bag over his shoulder before heading to the elevators.

* * *

Two days later Spencer smiled when he watched Piper, Albert, and Ava run to their grandma.

"Nana!" shouted all three toddlers at once.

"Well this is a surprise." said Diana as she saw her son, daughter in law, ex-husband standing in the doorway, "You didn't even call or write to say that you're going to be in town." said Diana.

Spencer approached his mom.

"Happy birthday mom." said Spencer as he gave his mom a kiss on the cheek.

Diana took in the appearance of her 33 year old son and instantly noticed that his curly locks were short again.

"Thank you baby, and I love your new haircut." said Diana.

"Did you notice that Albert has the same haircut as me?" asked Spencer.

Diana finally looked at her only grandson's hair.

"He looks just like you did when you were his age." said Diana.

"I know." said Spencer as he watched his mom get hugged by William and Olivia.

"So how long are you in town for?" asked Diana.

"We're heading back to DC on Sunday." said Spencer.

At that moment Piper looked at her daddy.

"We ride horses?" asked Piper.

"We sure can Goober." said Spencer before looking at his mom, "Since you're having a good day, I got the all clear with checking you out this afternoon since aunt Ethel and Joanna are making a birthday dinner for you and uncle Gordon right now." said Spencer.

Diana looked at Olivia, Piper, and Ava.

"What do you three ladies think about helping me pick out something nicer to wear?" asked Diana.

"We would love to help you mom." said Olivia as she embraced her mother in law.

Spencer scooped up his son before looking at his dad.

"We should let our four favorite ladies have some privacy." said Spencer.

At that moment all three Reid men left the room so Olivia could help Diana get dressed while making Diana's hair a bit presentable.

* * *

An hour later Diana was sitting on Gordon's porch laughing while she watched her oldest granddaughter giggle as she rode a horse with her daddy while Olivia rode a horse with Albert, causing her to look at her youngest granddaughter who was sitting between her and her twin brother.

"Are you having fun watching your mommy and daddy ride horses with your brother and sister?" asked Diana.

"Yes, Nana." said Ava.

* * *

Later that night Diana and Gordon were sitting in front of a birthday cake while Spencer, Olivia, Andrew, Joanna, and William sang "Happy Birthday" and all four toddlers clapped along before Gordon and Diana blew out the candles.

* * *

Two days later Spencer entered the bullpen when he saw Cruz with Hotch and Rossi.

"Welcome back Reid, and head into the conference room after setting down your bags." said Hotch.

A minute later Spencer was in the conference room, and he noticed Cruz, Garrett, and Lily.

"Hi." said Spencer.

"How's your neck?" asked Garrett.

"Even though it's been almost 10 months, I'm feeling pretty great since spending six weeks in at my uncle's ranch did some good for me during my recovery since I got to see my mom nearly every day." said Spencer.

"At least with how young your kids are, it's more sensible to take them to visit their grandma in Las Vegas." said Lily

"I know." said Spencer.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"So how was your visit with your mom this past weekend?" asked Rossi.

"She was lucid the entire time so celebrating mom's and uncle Gordon's 65th birthday was a success, and she begged Olivia and I to come out for Thanksgiving this year." said Spencer.

"I will make sure that you get that time off Reid." said Hotch.

"Thank you." said Spencer.

"Speaking of your kids, how are they doing?" asked Garrett.

Spencer grinned at the mention of his kids.

"They're doing great, but I'm sad that Piper's turning three in June and the twins are turning two at the end of next month." said Spencer as he pulled out his phone and showed Cruz, Garrett, and Lily a picture of him, Olivia, and the kids with his mom, "That was taken on Saturday since my dad insisted on taking a picture, and Piper was insistent on sitting in her grandma's lap." said Spencer.

"Your son is definitely a clone of you Spencer." said Lily.

Spencer smiled.

"I think everyone is pleased." said Spencer.

"You definitely need to lock up your two little girls when they become teenagers." said Garrett.

"I know, but Olivia's forbidding me from fitting Piper and Ava for chastity belts and building that moat and draw bridge that I've been drawing since finding out that I was going to have a daughter during Olivia's first pregnancy." said Spencer.

"Just show your gun to your daughter's boyfriends because I did that to my oldest daughter's boyfriend." said Garrett.

Spencer smirked.

"I'm already planning on it, and I think my PhD in chemistry can come in handy when it comes to hiding the dead bodies of teenage boys who hurt my daughters in the future." smirked Spencer.

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that." said Cruz.

At that moment Garcia, Morgan, JJ, and Kate entered the room.

"Let's get started." said Hotch as he nodded at Cruz to start.

"Our unsub's eluded both domestic and international teams, and we're not about to let him get away with it again." started Cruz before showing some pictures, "As you all remember, last April the Isaacs family was killed in Florida, and the Everetts were killed in Aruba the year before that." said Cruz as he noticed the saddened faces that Spencer, JJ, and Kate were all showing.

"Both families were found 24 hours after they were taken. Each family member had been strangled and their bodies were dumped in a remote area. The trails went cold." said Hotch.

"All signs pointed to the Everetts being his first victims. Because of the hands-on, intimate nature of the kills, we thought it was personal." said Lily.

"And we built on that theory with the Isaacs in Florida, but to no avail." said Hotch.

"Now that he's moved internationally again, it's time to rethink the motive. It's clear he gets off on hunting American families when they're on vacation." said Garrett.

"Just over 8 hours ago he abducted the Sullivans from Barbados." said Cruz as some surveillance footage was shown.

"It feels like he's establishing a clear pattern. He started overseas, came back to the states, and now he's gone to another country again." said Morgan.

"The month of April has some sort of significance to him." said Spencer.

"Maybe it's easy hunting season. All the kills were during spring break vacations." said Lily.

"It takes guts and skill to snatch a whole family, but you wouldn't know it by watching him." said Kate.

"The higher the risk, the lower his heart rate. A true sociopath." said Rossi.

"And the family's too tired from a long day of travel to see the ruse." said JJ.

"And the unsub's probably too charismatic to set off any instinctual alarms." said Morgan.

"I need both domestic and international teams working together on this. If our unsub sticks to his pattern, he'll kill the Sullivans by sunrise." said Cruz.

Hotch made his decision to have Spencer stay close to his wife and kids.

"Kate, you and Reid go to the Sullivans' house in Fairfax county. Look for links between them and the other victims. We need to establish whether he's stalking them at their homes before they take their trips. The rest of us will head to Barbados." said Hotch.

A few minutes later Spencer looked at Kate as they packed up what they needed.

"Should I drive or should you?" asked Spencer.

"How about you drive." said Kate as she rubbed her growing belly.

* * *

Spencer and Kate were going through the Sullivan's family home.

"Updated alarm system, no dog doors or hidden points of entry. Garage is even detached. I don't think the unsub infiltrated this house without them knowing. Is this the stuff you got from Florida?" asked Kate as she removed her latex free gloves.

"Well, all the families took the same cautious approach while traveling." said Spencer.

"So, he didn't stalk them from home, he did it from Barbados. Probably tracked the flights on his phone, saw the delays, and knew that he'd found his victim type." said Kate.

"Yeah, he obviously has a clear ideal. Statistically, annihilators are fathers who've lost or killed their own families and are trying to replace their role in the unit." said Spencer as Kate grabbed her tablet.

"Ok, so let's see what type of father he wants to be. My guess is the M.E. report will support your theory." said Kate.

"You OK with being left in Virginia?" asked Spencer.

"I am since I shouldn't be doing any overseas traveling, but what about you?" asked Kate.

"I'm OK with staying behind since that means that I'm closer to Olivia and the kids." said Spencer.

* * *

A couple of hours later Spencer and Kate were sitting at the Sullivan's dining room with two laptops out when Kate contacted Hotch.

"Go ahead, Kate." said Hotch.

"We reviewed the M.E. reports and confirmed that the unsub externalizes rage, specifically towards the two fathers." said Kate.

"There was an escalation on the last victim, Mr. Isaacs. Water torture and whipping marks, likely from the same belt used to kill him." said Spencer.

"Sounds like he's getting revenge." said JJ through the phone.

"Given his youth and the anger, he's not trying to fill the father role like we initially thought." said Hotch.

"He's inserting himself as the firstborn child who has the most rage at his father." said Garrett through the phone.

* * *

Spencer was sitting on the Sullivan's couch reading a file, and when he noticed something he looked at Kate.

"This is interesting. The first kills in Aruba were less organized and lacked the intense torture we saw in Florida with the Isaacs." said Spencer.

"Well, maybe it's because he had a year in between kills to perfect his game." said Kate.

"It could be, but what if it's more than that? What if his rage in Florida was some kind of statement?" asked Spencer.

"Like what?" asked Kate.

"I'm gonna punish the Americans on American soil." said Spencer.

"So something bad happened to him in Florida." said Kate.

"And I think it must have involved water." said Spencer.

"Why would you say that?" asked Kate.

"All the fathers showed signs of near drowning, but we never figured out why." said Spencer as he decided to patch the rest of the team in and a minute later he was briefing everyone on what he found out, "I double-checked the salinity levels in the fathers' lungs. In Aruba it was freshwater, but in Mr. Isaacs' case, it was a combination of fresh and saltwater."

"Well, the Everglades are fresh, the Gulf and Atlantic are salt. Where do they meet?" asked JJ.

"At the Florida Bay, but that's the bottom of the state. That would have been a 5-hour car ride from the abduction site." said Simmons.

"Well, the Isaacs were found an hour outside of Orlando, so, what did he do, abduct them from the airport, drive south to torture them, then drive another 5 hours to the dump site?" asked JJ.

"I know this guy is cocky, but he wouldn't keep them on the road that long." said Morgan.

"Agreed. Way too risky." said Lily.

"So what if he didn't take the risk?" asked Hotch.

"What are you thinking?" asked Lily.

"He abducted them in Orlando. He could drive them to the coast. That's only an hour away." said Hotch.

"Then he gets them to one of these beach towns, say, Cocoa, Daytona, Melbourne, transfers them to the secluded, controlled environment we know he needs for the torture." said Garrett.

"But the journey south and then north would take 24 hours." said Hotch.

"He's got them on a boat." said Garrett.

* * *

"We're hitting a dead end with unsolved cases involving water." said Spencer.

"I've been thinking we should look at solved cases. This unsub isn't old enough to be a hardened criminal. But his countermeasures and his confidence feel like he's had a lot of practice." said Garrett.

"So what if he were a budding psychopath? We should check homicides going back to his teens." said Hotch.

"Lily, cross with juvenile custody worldwide. And check which countries have blue and orange in their flags. Or sports teams. There's a reason he chose those colors. We just haven't found it yet." said Garrett

"You don't think he's American?" asked Spencer.

"He has some sort of connection to the states. That's why he's attacking American families. Now that we feel that he may have committed murder, it's doubtful that state would grant him a passport." said Garrett.

"What country would?" asked Spencer.

"Plenty." answered Lily.

"Wait, but if he was guilty of something horrific before, wouldn't he still be locked up?" asked Kate.

"Not necessarily. Remember when Natalee Holloway disappeared?" asked Lily as she knew that Hotch's genius would most likely answer.

"It'll be 10 years ago in May." said Spencer.

"The prime suspect was never put away despite our profile. He was free. And 5 years later to the day, he abducted and killed another young woman in Peru." said Lily.

"Van der Sloot went dormant, but his underlying homicidal behavior grew stronger. That definitely could have happened here." said Spencer.

"That means the Everetts in Aruba reignited his devious fantasies. So if they weren't his first victims, who were?" asked Kate.

"His own family. Narrow it down to sons who killed their fathers." said Hotch.

"That's it." said Garrett as he looked at the footage.

Spencer and Kate listened in through the phone, and a few hours later they were given the all clear to return to Quantico.

* * *

Spencer smiled as he accepted the hug that Joe Sullivan wanted to give him, and he smiled at the sight of Allison and Nick reuniting with their grandparents before Joe decided to give him another hug.

* * *

After the Sullivans left, Simmons looked at Spencer.

"I want to thank you again for giving me clothing that Piper and Ava grew out of." said Simmons as he looked at a picture of Spencer with his three kids.

"It's the least I can do so Livy and I know that Piper's and Ava's old clothes are being put to use by someone we know." said Spencer.

Lily looked at Spencer and Simmons.

"You two are quite the breeders." said Lily.

Spencer snorted.

"Twins run through my mother's side of the family, and when it comes to both Olivia and I being only children we wanted to have a big family." said Spencer.

"Plus having your father live with you guys helps keep Olivia a saint." said JJ.

"Speaking of my kids, I better head home since Livy decided to wait up for me since I asked her if Piper, Albert, and Ava could have a sleepover tonight." said Spencer before slinging his messenger bag over his shoulders and walking off towards the elevators.

* * *

Over an hour later Spencer was in bed with Olivia and the kids.

* * *

A few days later Spencer was in the conference room with his teammates when Hotch entered the room.

"Where are we on the multiple homicides?" asked Hotch.

"It's in Bethesda at the home of Frank and Donna Kingman." said JJ.

"She's the former Donna Stancroft, heiress to the Stancroft Electronics money." said Morgan.

"We're setting up a live feed transmission from the crime scene." said Spencer.

"Sergeant Carlson, can you hear me?" asked Garcia.

At that moment Sergeant Carlson noticed seven agents in a room.

"Sure can. How about on your end?" asked Sergeant Carlson.

"Loud and clear. Why don't you walk us through it, Sergeant." said Rossi.

"Ok, here we go." said Carlson.

"When were the victims found?" asked Morgan.

At that moment Carlson showed footage of the victims.

"About an hour ago. Neighbor noticed the front door was left open, called the police." said Carlson.

"Nothing's been disturbed?" asked Kate.

"No, ma'am. You're seeing what the responding officers saw." said Carlson.

"Is that music I hear in the background?" asked JJ.

"Yeah. A phonograph in the study playing "Jingle Bells" over and over." said Carlson.

"Sleigh bells in April?" asked Rossi.

"The unsub may have been trying to recreate the atmosphere of a holiday meal." said Morgan.

"It looks like their hands were bound." said Rossi.

"They're bound, shot in the head execution style." said Carlson.

"4 victims but 6 place settings." said Spencer as he thought about when he's home there's always six people sitting around the dining room table.

"Maybe two of the intended victims were no-shows." said JJ.

"Or managed to escape?" asked Kate.

"Well, escape seems unlikely given the highly organized nature of-" said Hotch before they witnessed a commotion over the live video feed.

* * *

Spencer and JJ were walking through the Kingmans kitchen with Sergeant Carlson.

"There's no sign of robbery or forced entry." said Carlson.

"Dirty dishes in the sink. They already had their birthday dinner." said JJ.

"4 dishes, 4 sets of silverware." said Spencer.

"Frank, Donna, Clara, and Jenna." listed JJ.

"But 5 wine glasses." said Spencer.

"You're right. So who joined them for a drink?" asked JJ.

A few seconds later Spencer and JJ were in the dining room with Sergeant Carlson.

"I guess the killer wanted the victim to go through a make-believe dinner again before he shot them." said Carlson.

Spencer grabbed some latex free gloves from his pocket.

"I don't think so." said Spencer before lifting up a plate, "Look. The splatter, it's on the tablecloth but not the plates. He shot them first and then set the table."

"The ritual wasn't for the victims, it was for the unsub's own gratification." said JJ.

At that moment Carlson sighed before leading Spencer and JJ to another room.

"Obviously there was some sort of fight in here." said Carlson.

"Or someone wanting to make it look that way." said Spencer.

"What do you mean?" asked Carlson.

"There's precision to the disarray. In an actual fight, damage tends to follow the path of the struggle, much like debris in a storm. This feels more like a calm, methodical breaking of specific items." said Spencer.

"And coupled with the dining table, that's very elaborate staging. It's more like pathology than a diversionary tactic. Look, the music's arranged by genre. Got big band, classical, jazz, and Christmas music." said JJ before noticing something, "Hey, Spence."

At that moment Spencer noticed the blood splatter.

* * *

Spencer and JJ entered the conference room as they heard Morgan spoke.

"You know, this is beginning to remind me of "Clue." Colonel Mustard's in the billiard room with the candlestick." said Morgan.

"Well, if it's clues you're looking for, we might be able to help you." said JJ as she sat down.

"Prints from an extra wine glass in the kitchen sink belong to Lance Kingman." said Spencer.

"Lance and his dad were supposedly in the middle of a blowout argument, not sipping Merlot." said Rossi.

"I guess they worked things out." said JJ.

"Or Ezra's lying. What if Lance caved to his father's wishes and ended things with Ezra?" asked Morgan.

"That could have pushed Ezra over the edge." said Spencer as he thought about how his parents, aunt Ethel, and uncle Gordon instantly approved of Olivia when he introduced her to them.

"My money's on Dillon. Deep in debt, hated his father, still AWOL." said Rossi.

"And with everyone dead, maybe a lot of that Stancroft Electronics money funnels his way." said JJ.

"Frank Kingman isn't necessarily dead. What if he's the killer?" asked Morgan.

"I'm not seeing the why." said JJ.

"Same why that applies to Dillon. Inheritance money." said Morgan.

"We'd better find one or both of them soon." said Spencer just as Garcia entered the room.

"Dillon already found us. He just turned himself in to Alexandria P.D. They're bringing him here." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer entered Garcia's bat cave just as Rossi was exiting the room.

"I heard you were hungry, so I thought I might bring you a little surprise." said Spencer as he handed Garcia a bag.

Garcia smiled at her happily married teammate.

"What is in this?" asked Garcia as she looked into the bag, "It's a croissant and it's still warm! Oh, you despite you already being married, you love me and I love you since you gave me two godchildren to spoil." said Garcia as Spencer nodded, "I know I flirt with Derek, but that's like an animal blood in the nostrils kind of thing. What we have is a pure transcendent blueberry-filled-" said Garcia as her computer chimed.

"Uh-oh." said Garcia.

"What is it?" asked Spencer as he looked at Garcia's computer.

"Uh, Dillon Kingman's Great Smoky alibi just went up in smoke. And according to his credit card, he went to the same local gas station twice yesterday." said Garcia.

"2.2 gallons at 7:03 a.m. then 15.4 gallons at 9:22 PM. What kind of car does he drive?" asked Spencer.

Garcia did some searching.

"Audi A6, 2012." said Garcia.

Spencer quickly did some math.

"With a highway to city ration of 4 to 1, averaged to 29 miles per gallon, which is standard for that make, model, and year, he traveled roughly 450 miles, which assuming one way and back puts his destination- 225 miles away." said Spencer.

Garcia quickly did some typing, and a few seconds later they saw the connection.

"If I became Mrs. Spencer Reid instead of Olivia, just think about how brilliant Piper, Albert, and Ava would have been if I was the mother instead of your kids instead of Olivia." said Garcia before noticing the scowl on Spencer's face, "Olivia's the perfect woman for you Boy Wonder, and I really love her since she gets you all smiley when you're feeling down, and you two created three very cute geniuses together."

"I'm going to go tell the others what we just found out, and I won't tell Olivia what you said." said Spencer before leaving the room.

* * *

Spencer stuck a photo to the clear board as Kate looked at him and Rossi.

"Ok. And we have a new frontrunner in the suspect game." said Kate.

"Maybe when Frank ended things, his mistress decided to destroy his family." said Rossi.

"Saving the most personal kill for the wife, the role she felt she deserved." said Spencer.

"Hell hath no fury." said Kate.

"Except this scorned woman would be closing in on 50 by now. Now, Dillon said she was short. Would she have the physicality to pull off a mass killing like this?" asked Rossi.

"What if Frank and his mistress are in this together? Ezra said Frank and Donna were planning to separate." said Spencer.

"And Donna had most of the money." said Kate as Spencer nodded.

"Could be. Get rid of the family, take the cash, disappear to the islands." said Rossi just as Garcia stumbled into the room.

"Um, I'm not positive, but I'm pretty, pretty positive that C.L. Gilliam is... Cora Gilliam. She's a bookkeeper who lives and works in Rockville, Maryland." said Garcia as she showed a picture.

"What makes you think she's the one?" asked Spencer.

"She's the right age. She fits the description. She's never been married. And she was living well above her means until precisely 10 months ago when she had to downsize. She moved to an apartment. She put up her house for sale. Huh?" asked Garcia.

Rossi looked at Spencer.

"Well, let's go have a chat." said Rossi.

Spencer followed Rossi.

* * *

Spencer and Rossi walked up to the front door of a house, and Rossi knocked on a door.

"Cora Gilliam, FBI! Open the door." shouted Rossi.

At that moment Spencer and Rossi saw Cora running, causing them to chase after her.

"Oh!" shouted Cora as she collided with a tricycle.

"Stop!" shouted Spencer.

Spencer and Rossi had Cora trapped, and Rossi noticed Cora pulling a gun out of her purse.

"Gun! Get your hands away from the weapon!" shouted Rossi.

At that moment Cora stopped reaching for her gun as Spencer hauled her up before handcuffing her.

"Oh!" shouted Cora.

* * *

Over an hour later Spencer and Rossi were sitting in an interrogation room in front of Cora.

"The gun's registered to me. I'm allowed to carry it." said Cora.

"Carrying it's not the problem. Pointing it at FBI agents is the problem." said Rossi.

"I was scared. I saw the news reports about Frank and his family. I thought I could be next." said Cora.

"Do you know where Frank is?" asked Spencer.

"No. We haven't seen each other in nearly a year. That's the truth." said Cora.

"How long were the two of you together?" asked Spencer.

"26 years." said Cora.

"How did it start?" asked Rossi.

"I was 19. Single mom of a 2-year-old and barely making it, and then I met Frank." said Cora.

"Was he married then?" asked Spencer.

Cora looked at Spencer.

"He and his wife had just come back from their honeymoon." said Cora.

"And that didn't send up a red flag about his character?" asked Rossi.

"When you're as desperate as I was, there's no such thing as a red flag." said Cora.

"And you yourself never got married or had any other children?" asked Spencer.

"Frank's a... controlling person. We had an agreement. I would be there for him exclusively, and in exchange he'd take care of me financially. It sounds colder than it was. We loved each other." said Cora.

"And then he just suddenly ended it 10 months ago?" asked Spencer.

"It wasn't all that sudden. Things had been winding down. After my son graduated high school 6 years ago, we saw each other less and less." said Cora.

"Why?" asked Rossi.

"I don't know why. Maybe he finally just got tired of me. Men are men." said Cora.

* * *

Spencer looked at his teammates.

"You let Cora go?" asked Spencer.

"Apparently she's still got enough money tucked away to dial up a good lawyer." said Morgan as he checked his phone, "Hotch says he's on his way back."

Spencer started thinking just as JJ noticed the look that Piper and Albert inherited from their father.

"All right, spill it, Spence. You got that thing going on." said JJ.

"Cora said when she met Frank, she had a child." said Spencer.

"Yeah, that's right." said JJ.

"But then she said that same kid graduated from high school 6 years ago. If he was two when she met Frank, he would have graduated 10 years ago. The math doesn't line up." said Spencer.

"Well, it does if she didn't have the child until after she met Frank Kingman." said Morgan.

"What if her kid is actually his?" asked JJ.

* * *

Hotch entered the room, and when he saw Spencer he started debating if he should have Spencer talk to Jessica since he knows what it's like to have to commit a parent for round-the-clock care.

"Have the police been dispatched to Cora's apartment?" asked Hotch.

"They're on their way." said Morgan.

"Well, the kid had motive. Seeing his mother unceremoniously dumped by an absentee dad." said JJ.

"Especially if he and his mom were shut out of the family afterwards. He came back for revenge." said Spencer.

"Ok, but why now? Did the unsub finally just snap?" asked JJ.

"Everything fell apart 10 months ago. The secret affair was out. The blackmail and extortion stopped." said Spencer.

"And something happened in the Kingman family between then and now. Jenna got a new boyfriend. Now, why wouldn't Marc Clifford have sex with her?" asked Hotch.

"According to Ezra, he wasn't gay." said Morgan.

"And he was sexually active with other women around town, so it wasn't a moral issue." said JJ.

"Well, what if he knew something she didn't? That she was his half-sister." said Hotch.

* * *

"Thanks, baby girl. You're the best." said Morgan before looking at his teammates, "Garcia says that Marc Clifford grew up by the name of Marc Powers. That's why he was so hard to find."

"Rockville P.D. says there's no sign of Cora or anybody else at her apartment." said Spencer.

"Maybe she's on the run." said JJ.

"Or Marc's already gotten to her." said Hotch.

* * *

A few hours later, Spencer entered the house and he smiled when he saw his dad and Olivia getting all three toddlers trapped into their booster seats.

"I see that I didn't miss dinner." said Spencer.

"Daddy!" chorused Piper, Albert, and Ava when they realized that they couldn't get out of the booster seats that they were strapped into.

"Case finished?" asked William.

"Yes it is, and paperwork can wait until tomorrow." said Spencer as he scooped some portions of dinner onto his plate.

A few minutes later Spencer was listening to Piper tell him about his day, and a few hours later Piper, Albert, and Ava were sleeping with him and Olivia in bed.

* * *

 _A/N: I will be revisiting Roy Brooks Alzheimer's Disease in my future story Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Four since I have a scene planned out between Spencer and Hotch._


	54. Mr Scratch

__Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.__

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5 for being the 200th reviewer of this story, and also a shout out to OhSnapItsMadison, Hippichic81 for reviewing chapter 53._

 _I think that many of you might like the outcome of this chapter, but don't worry since I'm still planning on having Emily come back._

 _Let's just say that Peter Lewis did some research on Hotch and his teammates as soon as he found out which team got the case._

 _Next chapter will be a longer one since I only have two more episodes for season 10, and then after a few non episode related chapters I will be marking this story as complete before I start Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Four which will be AU due to the events of this chapter._

* * *

Spencer slowly walked alongside Piper as she walked on the balance beam, and when she reached the end Piper's coach Grace Patterson approached the father and daughter duo just as Spencer scooped his oldest daughter off the balance beam.

"Daddy is so proud of you." said Spencer as he kissed Piper on the cheek.

Grace looked at one of her favorite students.

"Great job Piper." said Grace as she gave Piper a high five.

"What now?" asked Piper.

Grace looked at the clock before looking at Piper.

"It's time to go home to eat dinner, and I don't see you again until next week." said Grace before looking at Spencer, "When does Piper turn three again?"

"June 17th." said Spencer.

"With Piper being my most advanced student in this age group, I want to have a few private lessons with her since she will be ready for the highest level in her age group by her third birthday." said Grace.

"I will let Olivia know as soon as Piper and I get home." said Spencer as he helped Piper put on her shoes.

As soon as Piper had her shoes on she looked at her daddy.

"Can we please eat ice cream?" asked Piper as she worked her eyes on her daddy.

"After dinner we can eat ice cream." said Spencer as he helped Piper put on her sweater.

"OK." sighed Piper.

* * *

Later that night Spencer and Olivia were sitting in their bed talking, and Spencer looked at Olivia.

"We definitely have a gymnastics prodigy in our hands." said Spencer.

"I know." said Olivia.

"Grace mentioned that she wants to have a bunch of private lessons with Piper since she thinks that as soon as Piper turns three, she should be in the advanced group for the three and four year old division." said Spencer.

"When you're at work tomorrow, I will contact Grace to start making arrangements since Piper's wanting to learn more than what she learns every week." said Olivia before looking at the clock, "Are you tired yet?" asked Olivia.

"No." said Spencer.

Olivia locked her lips with Spencer before she felt Spencer removing her t-shirt.

* * *

The next day Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with his teammates when Hotch came into the room.

"Why don't we just start with the simplest explanation? They're lying." said Morgan.

"There are easier lies to tell to cover for murder. Why tell the same one, especially when it doesn't make sense?" asked JJ.

"Could it be a group delusion?" asked Kate.

"Their similar age range all points in that direction, 33 to 34 years old, but the geographic diversity kind of rules that out." said Spencer as he knew that he was in the age range of the unsub's targets.

"Yeah. Larry Merrin's from Topeka. Christine McNeil is from Roswell, Georgia, Daniel Karras is from Derry, Maine, all different economic levels, social circles, obviously different racial backgrounds." said Garcia.

"So if he's an unsub, he's not killing but creating killers. Murder by proxy, if you will." said Rossi.

"It's gotta be drugs. Larry Merrin's story just sounds like a bad trip." said Morgan.

"According to the police reports, all 3 tox screens came up negative." said Garcia.

"Well, they only screen for known compounds. This could be a cocktail we've never seen before." said JJ.

"Every drug affects every person differently, yet somehow this unsub is able to make his drug affect 3 completely dissimilar people exactly in the same way." said Spencer.

"Maybe they're not dissimilar at all. Maybe the drugs are just the tipping point and these 3 share some sort of pre-existing mental condition he knows he can tap into to induce them to kill. We find that, we find him." said Hotch before looking at Spencer and Rossi, "You two are getting on the jet to head to Topeka."

"OK." said Spencer.

* * *

Over an hour later Spencer and Rossi were sitting across from each other on the jet, and Rossi looked at Spencer who was setting up his travel chess board.

"So how did Piper's gymnastics lesson go yesterday?" asked Rossi.

"Piper's coach thinks that after a few one on one sessions before her third birthday, Piper will be placed in the advanced division for three and four year olds as soon as she turns three." said Spencer.

"I must join you the next time you take Piper to gymnastics since seeing pictures and videos aren't enough." said Rossi.

"I think Piper will be thrilled for you to come along since Garcia joined Olivia once." said Spencer as he and Rossi started their chess game while they talked about what they know about the case.

* * *

An hour and a half later Spencer approached Rossi, who was going through a closet.

"No records or paperwork in the house regarding Larry Merrin's adoption." said Spencer.

"Morgan struck out with the vics. They knew they were adopted but couldn't recall anything." said Rossi.

"Well, they were 3 to 4 years old at the time. Firm memories don't imprint on the developing brain until about age 5. Yet somehow the unsub was able to make the victims hallucinate an almost primal childhood fear of the dark and of the monsters that lurk within it." said Spencer.

"Yeah, but how? This place was locked up tight." said Rossi.

"Well, both men reported smelling sage. They must have inhaled a drug." said Spencer.

"They had to breathe it in." said Rossi.

At that moment both men looked at a heating duct causing Spencer to open it up to look inside, and as soon as Spencer turned on his flashlight Rossi looked at him.

"Anything?" asked Rossi.

Spencer noticed a few tubes, pulled them out and showed them to Rossi.

"We should head back to Quantico and get that to the lab for a rushed analysis." said Rossi.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer was holding an evidence bag in front of his teammates.

"The plastic tested positive for sevoflurane and scopolamine, both powerful disassociatives. The first is used to put you into a waking dream. Dentists often use it during oral surgery. The second, in high doses, makes you completely suggestible." said Spencer as he explained the drug to his teammates.

"And the unsub uses the first to make the victims hallucinate their worst fear." said Kate.

"Then he uses the second to make them attack that fear when it's really the person next to them. They don't realize that they're actually killing someone that they love." said Morgan.

"And once they do, their lives are ruined forever. Even if they plead insanity, we've got 3 victims who ain't never goin' back to Mayberry." said Rossi.

"Let's go back to the part about hallucinating your worst fear." said Hotch before looking at JJ, "JJ, what's your earliest fear from childhood?"

"Being separated from my parents." said JJ.

"Dave?" asked Hotch.

"Lon Chaney, "Phantom of the Opera." she takes off that mask, forget about it." said Rossi.

"Kate?" asked Hotch.

"Melissa Gordner. That bitch." said Kate while noticing mixed reactions due to her pregnancy hormones.

"And yet each of these victims saw exactly the same thing." said Hotch.

"The initial police reports only called it a dark figure, but our interviews revealed shared details. A shadow monster with talons for hands." said Spencer.

"And that level of specificity says it's not just a childhood nightmare, it's something they actually experienced, though they were too young to understand what it was." said Hotch.

"But they were from different states." said JJ.

"No, they were adopted in different states. Maybe at some point they shared the same group home." said Kate.

"So the unsub has them recall that memory from childhood to make them kill as adults. How do we prove it?" asked Morgan.

At that moment Hotch walked away.

* * *

Later that night, Piper climbed into her parents bed, and Spencer instantly woke up when he felt weight on top of him.

"Daddy?" asked Piper.

Spencer reached for his glasses and slipped them on to see a frightened look on Piper's face.

"What's wrong?" asked Spencer.

"Monster under my bed." said Piper.

"You want me to check?" asked Spencer.

"Yes." said Piper.

Spencer climbed out of bed, scooped up Piper and carried her to her bedroom, and a minute later he was checking under Piper's bed. He slightly chuckled when he pulled out a stuffed snake.

"It's just your stuffed snake, Piper." said Spencer as he showed his oldest daughter the stuffed snake that he bought her in Nevada.

"Snakes are scary." shuddered Piper as she thought about seeing the reptile house at the zoo.

"I agree." said Spencer before he caught Piper yawning, "It's time to go back to sleep."

"I sleep with you and mommy?" asked Piper as she worked her puppy dog eyes on her daddy.

Spencer shook his head before scooping up his oldest child, and a few minutes later Piper was fast asleep on top of her daddy.

* * *

A few hours later Olivia woke up to some laughing only to find Piper tickling her daddy in bed.

"When did you get in here?" asked Olivia.

Piper stopped tickling her daddy and looked at her mommy.

"Scary snake under my bed, and daddy say I can sleep with you and daddy." said Piper.

Spencer looked at Olivia.

"Her stuffed rattlesnake was under her bed, and she asked me if she could sleep with us. I didn't have the heart to say no." said Spencer.

At that moment Olivia heard Albert and Ava through the baby monitors before looking at the clock.

"It's time that we get ready for the day." said Olivia.

Piper looked at her daddy who was gathering the clothing that he laid out for the day.

"You put bad man in time out?" asked Piper.

"Your aunts, uncles, and I are working on catching one right now, but depending on how today goes I will be home by bedtime." said Spencer before he walked into the bathroom to get dressed for the day.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer was standing in the bullpen with his teammates with his arms crossed.

"All right, let's assume all the victims share Bill Kinderman's propensity for recovered memories. What does that mean for the unsub?" asked Hotch.

"It means his drugs would have more of an effect on them." said JJ.

"Why them more than a normal person?" asked Kate.

"Because when something's remembered for the first time on a therapist's couch, it's often a fantasy the patient is talking themselves into believing. Popular thinking is that recovered memories are actually just a form of self-hypnosis. That's why the patients are so convinced the delusion is real." said Spencer as he thought about the hypnosis session he had to recover buried memories from when he was four.

"So if these victims are already talking themselves into believing fiction, they would be more suggestible when they're dosed." said Rossi.

"We profiled these victims had a pre-existing condition. I think this is it." said Hotch.

"How would the unsub know that?" asked Morgan.

"Because he was there the last time they made up a story, in 1985." said Hotch.

"So they were only 3-4 years old. Kids that age can't distinguish fantasy from reality." said JJ as she thought about how Piper is turning three in June.

"Exactly. And their age plus the time period puts us right at the height of the satanic ritual abuse allegations." said Hotch.

"Oh, crap." muttered Rossi.

"This is a completely different set of circumstances." said Kate.

"Was it? Throughout the 1980s, pre-school-age kids made accusations against their teachers." said Hotch.

"McMartin, Fells Acres, Kern County. 270 cases by 1988. Numerous innocent teachers had their careers and lives ruined, and all the cases were ultimately debunked." said Spencer.

"By the BAU and the Lanning Report, thank you very much." said Rossi.

"Except that was a mass hysteria involving teachers and kids, and these victims were adopted." said Kate.

"Well, that's the deviation that made us miss the profile until now. 30 years ago these victims could have made similar accusations in a foster home, all saying the same thing, that they saw this." said Hotch as he held up the pictures that their first suspects drew.

"3-year-old Larry Merrin would have said the monster dragged him down the stairs." said Rossi.

"And 4-year-old Daniel Karras one-upped it by adding a sexual detail. That's how kids tell stories, especially when they're reinforced by well-meaning parents, therapists, and cops." said Morgan.

"And in doing so, they ruin the unsub's life, and now he's taking revenge." said Hotch.

"Ok, so if this is the why, how do we find him?" asked JJ.

"We talk to Christine McNeil. Maybe she can tell us where the foster home was." said Hotch.

"Flag on the play there. She's not talking to anyone." said Rossi.

"Maybe she will." said Hotch.

* * *

A short while later lights were flickering and causing Spencer, Morgan, Kate, and JJ to look around.

"What the hell?" asked Kate.

At that moment Garcia came rushing in.

"Unplug everything!" shouted Garcia.

Light bulbs were shattering causing a power outage, and a few minutes later Spencer and his teammates were holding candles.

"This is cozy." said Kate.

"Do we have any idea what's going on yet?" asked Morgan.

Hotch came forward.

"Garcia's trying to get some answers. Power's out in the whole building. Backup generator, too." said Hotch.

"This guy's got some mojo. He knocked us out right when we got our best lead." said Rossi.

"We could cross-reference the name Mr. Scratch against old statements. We'd have to go to the paper files." said Spencer.

"We don't have time. This unsub's probably already found every kid that made an accusation from back then." said JJ.

"If we don't get back online soon or get a lucky break in this case, we're gonna be looking at more drugged victims and dead bodies." said Morgan.

At that moment Garcia came forward.

"Ahem. Getting online is gonna be a lot harder than you think." said Garcia as she motioned for everyone to follow her, "Whoever engineered this, he did a complete and total network and infrastructure shutdown."

"But I thought we had firewalls to protect from this kind of breach." asked Hotch.

"We totally do. And that's what scares me. Ok? Look, look." said Garcia as she dropped a stack of papers onto the table which Spencer instantly grabbed, "I managed to capture some of his hacking code on one of the hard drives before he could fry it. I printed this out at the copy shop. This is what I can tell you. It's the only thing, but it's good news. He wasn't hacking us. He was looking for something in the Witness Protection files, 'cause that's what he raided first." said Garcia as everyone watched Spencer go through the papers.

"Do we know who in Witness Protection?" asked Morgan.

"Well, that's the $64,000 question, isn't it? And that I will pay you $64,000 if you can answer it. His encryption algorithms are beyond the beyond the beyond." said Garcia.

"We're not gonna find him through his computer expertise. Certainly not now. We need to figure out why he'd take the risk to hack us." said Rossi.

"It's like JJ said. He's looking for every kid who made an accusation. One of them is in Witness Protection." said Kate.

"And he saved them for last because if he kills that target first, we'd be onto him immediately." said JJ

At that moment Spencer noticed the type of encryption that he recognized from the math class he would be gifted enough to take if he went to a certain college.

"Huh." said Spencer.

"What? You see something?" asked Morgan.

"Encryption's a highly specialized skill set, but it's fundamentally a mathematical process, which means it's a human process, but sometimes your technique can reveal where you learned it. I think I know where he learned how to do this." said Spencer.

"Where?" asked Kate.

"Harvard. Which oddly enough isn't known for its advanced math program, but it is known for one particular class." said Spencer as he noticed the looks from his teammates, "When you're good at math, good enough to get into Harvard, you take a math class called Math 15. When you're better than that, you take Math 25, but when you're the best, the absolute best, you take Math 55- honors advanced calculus and linear algebra. Graduates are immediately employed by the US government because they're too dangerous to work anywhere else. More specifically, they're employed at the NSA." said Spencer as he thought about Math 55 being the reason why he didn't go to Harvard.

At that moment Hotch looked at Spencer causing him to think about how many times the NSA has approached him about Spencer.

"Oh, sir, that would make a lot of sense." said Garcia.

At that moment Hotch decided to call his contact who has tried to recruit Spencer before, and as soon as Hotch left the room Morgan looked at Spencer.

"If you did go to Harvard would you have taken Math 55 causing you to work for the NSA instead of the FBI?" asked Morgan.

"Math 55 was a huge reason why I didn't choose Harvard, and with my mom's paranoia I wasn't keen on joining the NSA despite picking the FBI." said Spencer.

"What about Olivia?" asked JJ.

"With her math skills she would have also taken Math 55, and with how Piper's already doing addition and subtraction problems I wouldn't be surprised if she follows Olivia's and my footsteps and earn a PhD in mathematics." said Spencer.

"With how smart your kids already are, they're definitely going to take over the world." said Rossi.

"I know." said Spencer.

* * *

Two hours later Peter Lewis looked at Hotch as he looked at a picture of Jack and Piper together, and after reading the inscription he recognized the little girl as Spencer Reid's oldest daughter who was also Hotch's goddaughter, and as soon as Hotch woke up he held up the picture he was holding.

"What would you think about me killing your precious son or your precious goddaughter who is the oldest daughter of Dr. Spencer Reid?" asked Mr. Scratch as he handed Hotch a knife.

Hotch fought the drugs causing his mind to become clear, allowing him to take action since he didn't want Jack or Piper to get hurt after what he witnessed in his hallucinations of his team dying because of him.

"You stay away from my son and goddaughter." said Hotch as he quickly plunged the knife into Peter Lewis's neck, killing the man instantly while not realizing that if he didn't kill Mr. Scratch he and Jack would have been forced to leave Piper.

* * *

Meanwhile Spencer got out of the SUV with Rossi, JJ, and Morgan before Morgan started giving orders.

"Rossi, Reid, take the front. JJ and I will take the back." said Morgan.

"Watch your front sight. One of ours is in there." said Rossi.

A minute later Spencer and Rossi entered the house, and they saw Hotch checking Peter Lewis's pulse and Hotch looked at Spencer and Rossi.

"He's dead." said Hotch.

Rossi reached for the comm on his vest.

"We need a medic in here!" shouted Rossi.

Spencer took the gun and checked the safety before tossing it to the side before he and Rossi worked on calming Hotch down.

"They made me see things. They made me see things." said Hotch before looking at Spencer, "I killed him since he threatened to kill both Jack and Piper."

At that moment Spencer saw the picture that Hotch kept in his wallet.

"Stay with Hotch while I let the others know what's going on." said Rossi as he walked away.

"One of my worst fears was watching Rossi and Morgan die from getting shot in the neck like you almost did." whispered Hotch.

Spencer started mentally noting Hotch's injuries, and a minute later Rossi returned.

"Ambulance is on its way. We need to get you looked at." said Rossi

"I'm fine." said Hotch before he walked away.

"Hey, this is not a suggestion." said Rossi.

"He's definitely going to need a lot of therapy." said Spencer as he and Rossi decided to follow after Hotch.

"I know." said Rossi.

"He was able to tell me one thing he saw during his time with Peter Lewis, and one of the fears that Lewis was able to get out of him was watching you and Morgan die from a gunshot wound to the neck since I almost died from getting shot in the neck 11 months ago." said Spencer as he rubbed his scar.

"At least that's a start, and I will work on getting more out of him tonight." said Rossi as he watched JJ and Morgan come outside.

At that moment an ambulance pulled up, and a few minutes later Dr. Regan's and Peter Lewis's bodies were being taken out of the house while Rossi worked on getting everything out of Hotch before he accompanied Hotch to the hospital while Spencer, JJ, and Morgan headed back to the BAU to work on post case paperwork.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer was quietly climbing into bed, and Olivia woke up.

"You're home." said a groggy Olivia.

At that moment Spencer noticed that it was 3 AM.

"My teammates and I are on stand down for the next two weeks because Hotch got injured, and maintenance is going to need to replace every light bulb in the building so I was told to take today off." said Spencer.

"What happened?" asked Olivia.

Spencer started recounting what happened, and when he was finished he looked at Olivia.

"I'm glad that Peter Lewis is dead because if Hotch didn't kill him when he did, I imagine that things probably would have became worse in the future." said Spencer.

"I think I will make some meals that Aaron can easily pop into the oven when he gets out of the hospital." said Olivia.

"I think he will appreciate it." said Spencer before yawning.

"Let's get some sleep." said Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer and Olivia were asleep in each others arms.

* * *

 _A/N: With killing off Peter Lewis in this chapter, I know that I won't have to do the storyline with Hotch and Jack going into Witness Protection._


	55. Protection and The Hunt

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

 _A/N: Shout out to tannerose5, Hippichic81, southernbeauty13, snowdrop65, and OhSnapItsMadison for reviewing chapter 54._

 _I really hate Mr. Scratch so that's why I decided to kill him off in the last chapter, and I already have plans for Hotch while he's still a huge part of Spencer's and his goddaughter's life in this universe._

 _This chapter takes place about two weeks after the last chapter since Hotch needed time off to recover and go to therapy._

* * *

Spencer and Olivia unloaded their kids out of their SUV just as Hotch and Jack got out of their car, and Piper's face broke into a huge grin when she saw her godfather.

"Uncle Aaron." said Piper as she ran over to her godfather.

"How are you doing Piper?" asked Hotch as he scooped up his goddaughter and watched Jack greet Spencer.

"I am good." said Piper before looking at her godfather, "Please push me on the swing."

"You got it." said Hotch as he scooped his goddaughter onto his shoulder while Spencer carried his son to the swings.

A minute later Jack was swinging by himself while Hotch and Spencer pushed either Piper and Albert on the swing and Olivia sat in the shade with Ava reading to her youngest daughter.

"Higher, uncle Aaron." said Piper.

"OK." said Hotch as he pushed Piper's swing higher, and both Spencer and Hotch couldn't help but laugh along with Piper and Albert.

* * *

30 minutes later Spencer, Olivia, Hotch, Jack, Piper, Albert, and Ava were eating a snack when Hotch's phone went off, and as soon as Hotch checked his phone he looked at Spencer.

"We have a case in Los Angeles, and with the flight being long we're meeting on the jet." said Hotch before looking at Olivia, "Would you mind having Jack stay with you until Reid and I get back since Jessica is working?" asked Hotch as he and Spencer both got up.

"I would love to have Jack stay with us." said Olivia before looking at her nine year old adopted nephew, "What do you say about staying with me for the next few days?"

"Sometimes you're more fun than Aunt Jessica." said Jack as he watched his uncle Spencer hug and kiss Piper, Albert, and Ava goodbye.

"You already have the key to my apartment and know the alarm code so you just have to stop there and pick up Jack's stuff for school and some clothes." said Hotch.

"OK." said Olivia before looking at her husband, "Please stay safe, and I will stay here with the kids for a bit longer."

"OK." said Spencer as he kissed his wife goodbye while trying to ignore Piper's, Albert's, and Ava's crying.

Hotch looked at his own son.

"You be good for aunt Olivia and William, and if they ask you to do anything please do it." said Hotch.

"OK." said Jack as he hugged his father.

A minute later Spencer was heading to Hotch's car with Hotch, and Hotch looked at his youngest agent who was wearing jeans and a Cal-tech sweat shirt.

"Luckily we both have our go bags and changes of clothes at the office, and I assume that you have your revolver in your messenger bag." said Hotch.

"I do." said Spencer.

"Then we just need to stop at my apartment and get my weapons." said Hotch.

* * *

"So two Johns and a hooker and no apparent connection between any of them." said JJ.

"And he doesn't rob them or care if the bodies are discovered." said Morgan.

"No forensic countermeasures either. He probably wants them found. It might be a message." said Rossi.

"I wonder what he's trying to say." said Kate.

"Maybe that he's angry. He's using a .45-caliber weapon, and with each victim he fired 13 shots. It's most likely every round in the magazine and the one in the chamber. It's basically overkill with a handgun." said Spencer.

"What's he angry about?" asked Hotch.

"Tasha Brooks is African-American and the two Johns, Gary Fisher and Nate Cochran, they were both white." said Kate.

"Guys, what if she's the connection? What if these victims were both her clients?" asked Morgan.

"Given the close proximity of the murder sites, that is a distinct possibility." said Spencer.

"So the first victim, Gary Fisher, was found alone because maybe Tasha was there and then got away?" asked JJ.

"Or it was some other girl and she got away." said Kate.

"Presuming it is a woman." said Spencer.

"Either way, that means there's someone out there that may have seen the unsub." said Rossi.

"Then our first priority should be finding that person." said Hotch.

* * *

Detective Speedwell led the BAU to the room he was lending the BAU to use.

"I can't thank all of you enough for coming." said Detective Spreewell.

"Well, I hope we can help." said Hotch.

"We put all our street patrols on double shifts like you asked. We rounded up every working girl, pimp, crackhead in the area. Hopefully somebody knows something." said Detective Spreewell.

"We better get to it. We're gonna need to talk to 'em all." said Rossi.

"Well, it won't be easy. I saw this all the time when I worked sex crimes. Most of these women have been victimized for years." said Kate.

"Why don't we start with him." said Detective Spreewell as he moved his head to show who they should start with, "Eddie Parrish, Tasha Brooks' pimp. Calls himself Sweetness."

"Aw, come on, now. That was Walter Payton's nickname. That's just wrong." said Morgan.

* * *

The working girl handed Spencer the file back.

"Are you sure? Do you want to maybe take another look?" asked Spencer.

The working girl looked at Spencer and noticed his wedding band instantly.

"I'm sure, baby. I remember all the cute ones. Like you." said the working girl, causing Spencer to raise his eyebrows while Rossi looked amused, "I won't forget you or your friend either."

Spencer and Rossi exchanged glances before Spencer looked away disturbed causing Rossi to smirk.

"Olivia's never going to let you live this down as soon as I tell her about it." smirked Rossi.

"Olivia's the name of your wife?" asked the working girl.

Spencer nodded as he blushed a bit.

"Olivia's sure one lucky woman to snag a cute looking man like you." said the slightly disappointed working girl.

A few minutes later Rossi was telling Hotch and Morgan about what happened causing Morgan to burst out laughing while Hotch smirked.

"I can remember the time in Kansas City when you were being propositioned by every prostitute we were interviewing together." said an amused Hotch.

"I thought that seeing my wedding band would stop the flirting." mumbled Spencer.

"Your wedding band doesn't stop women from flirting with you pretty boy, and a lot of women at Quantico were disappointed when they found out about Olivia." said a laughing Morgan.

* * *

Spencer was standing in the police department giving the profile with Hotch, JJ, and Kate.

"An autopsy on one of the victims showed evidence of postmortem violence. This speaks to the unsub's level of anger." said Spencer.

"He began by victimizing prostitutes and their clients, and he's moved on to what we believe is a mugging situation." said Hotch.

"He's mission oriented. In his mind, he may believe it's his duty to clean up the streets." said JJ.

"He probably does nightly patrols and stalks anyone that he thinks is suspicious." said Kate.

"Not only is it possible he may suffer from some kind of drug-related psychosis, but we think he also may have been a victim of violent crime himself." said Spencer.

"And this appears to be personal, which makes him more dangerous." said Hotch.

"Unfortunately, the statistics do not support this ending well. In the vast majority of these type of serial crimes, the murderer usually doesn't go down easily and isn't apprehended alive." said Spencer.

"But so far he's been smart enough to run away before the cops show up." said JJ.

"Even though he's a vigilante, he may not think we're all on the same team catching the bad guy together." said Kate.

"In fact, his zeal may be connected to a deep mistrust of law enforcement." said Hotch.

* * *

A short while later Spencer was sitting at the conference room table with his teammates when Garcia called.

"Go ahead, Garcia." said Hotch.

"Sir, per your request, I did some delving into the latest victims, and, uh, get ready for a big paradigm shift regarding the personality of Lamar Taylor. He was a bad kid, operative word, was. Present tense now, he was in his first semester at a local community college, and Clara Miller, the woman, she was his high school teacher. He was a super at-risk kid, he had trouble at home, and Clara helped him. She helped him through school. She helped him graduate." said Garcia.

"So there's no way that was a mugging." said Rossi.

"No. No. Unless it's some sort of, you know, bizarro universe, with a square planet, where things are like exactly the opposite, totally the same." said Garcia.

"Black kid, white lady. He probably racially profiled the situation and just jumped to conclusions." said Morgan.

"We need to alert the press and warn the public." said Rossi.

"Thanks, Garcia." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer was sitting on top of a desk watching a female officer interview a witness.

"Her name's Lindsey Cooper. Some bouncer called 911 after she ran into a night club screaming for help." said Morgan.

"What about the victim?" asked Rossi.

"His name was Christopher Deluca. Shot multiple times, beaten pretty badly, too." said Morgan.

"Apparently he was her boyfriend." said Kate.

"They found shell casings from a .45 on the scene. She told cops that the shooter was a white guy wearing a hoodie." said JJ.

"Spreewell and his guys are canvassing the area." said Morgan.

"He left a witness this time. He's getting sloppy." said Kate.

"Is she in any condition to talk? She looks pretty freaked out." said Rossi.

At that moment Spencer looked towards Lindsey.

"She keeps clenching her jaw, drinking water, and can't seem to sit still. I think she's on something, and I'm assuming it's MDMA." said Spencer.

"All right, Kate, you and JJ see what you can find out from her. And, Reid, you and Morgan go to the crime scene." said Hotch.

Spencer got up and followed Morgan.

* * *

Spencer and Morgan entered the room where they saw JJ hanging up a picture.

"Composite sketch of the unsub. I already went wide to the press." said JJ.

"Best lead we've had so far." said Rossi.

"Crime scene was total chaos. Ballistics confirmed another exact match." said Morgan.

"Guys, something doesn't add up." said Spencer as he walked to the geographical profile, "We profiled this unsub would have an intimate knowledge of his kill zone. Right? But so far he's chosen impoverished neighborhoods with high crime rates. Last night, he chose a neighborhood that's been recently gentrified and has a relatively low crime rate."

"Why the shift?" asked Kate.

"He's getting more and more bold." said JJ.

"Or he's losing his grip on reality." said Hotch.

"Maybe this isn't drug related. What if this guy's actually delusional, as in the paranoid schizophrenic variety?" asked Rossi as he shot Spencer a quick sympathetic look.

"So this could be a psychotic break." said Kate.

"That's possible. His vigilante mission could have become his sole focus and now he's seeing trouble wherever he looks for it." said Spencer as he thought about all the times his mom thought that he was a spy when he was a child, causing her to occasionally attack him.

"Then his delusions are driving him. Explains the shift in victimology." said JJ.

"Now anyone could be a target to him." said Morgan before looking at Spencer, "You OK kid?"

"Yeah." said Spencer.

A few minutes later they had Garcia on the phone.

"Okey-dokey, artichokey in the pokey, victims of violent crime in Los Angeles over the last 5 years. That is one honkin' list. We are talking tens of thousands of names." said Garcia.

"All right, Garcia, cross-check that list against medical records. Anyone with mental health issues that may have been prescribed antipsychotics." said Morgan.

"Specifically resperidone, olanzapine, haloperidol, clozapine." said Spencer as he listed the medications that his mom is currently on or has taken.

Ok, OK, I got it. Brain drugs, right. Ok, OK, that's a still unmanageable 2,948 names." said Garcia.

"All right, now check within a 5-mile radius of the kill zone." said Morgan.

"Hey! That's more like it. 6 names. Scratch that. Two names because two died and two moved out of state." said Garcia.

"What's that leave us with?" asked Rossi.

"Herman Koldyke, 68-year-old Vietnam vet with severe PTSD. He was stabbed during a robbery. And Sandra Cunningham, 40-year-old cashier, was bipolar, who was the victim of a rape." said Garcia.

"Those two don't exactly fit our profile." said JJ.

"Do any of the 6 people on your list have relatives that still live in the area?" asked Kate.

"Yes. One of the aforementioned deceased, Miriam Stokes, 50-year-old landlord, with schizophrenia. A year ago she was shot and killed in a burglary. Her son, Daniel Lee Stokes, still lives in the building that she owned." said Garcia.

"What else you got on this guy?" asked Morgan.

"Uh, he's 24, he works as a part-time bus boy at a Mexican restaurant- with really good Yelp reviews- and he was diagnosed with severe paranoid schizophrenia 3 years ago." said Garcia as she thought about how Spencer dodged that bullet.

"Just like his mother." said Spencer sadly as he thought about how he dodged the bullet of becoming schizophrenic like his mom since he didn't carry a gene despite passing down Asperger's syndrome down to Ava.

At that moment Hotch looked at Spencer causing him to make a mental note to talk to him on the plane ride home.

"Oh, snap. Last week, Daniel was questioned regarding the disappearance of Patricia Valdez and Milena Valdez, her 16-year-old daughter. They lived in his building. They disappeared two weeks ago. Stokes was cleared." said Garcia.

"Garcia, did they ever catch the guy that shot his mom?" asked JJ.

"No. No, never. But, hello, thickening plot. The prime suspect of said shooting was Patricia Valdez' ex, David Ruiz. He's currently in the custody of the San Diego sheriff's department, awaiting trial for armed robbery." said Garcia.

"You got a picture of Stokes?" asked Rossi.

"Yeah. He's two years behind on his license renewal, but there you go." said Garcia.

At that moment Rossi's phone pinged, and Rossi held up a picture of Danny to the composite sketch to confirm that they had their unsub.

"Garcia, we need an address." said Hotch.

* * *

Spencer and JJ got out of the SUV, and Spreewell looked at Spencer, Morgan, and JJ..

"You really think that guy had something to do with that missing mother and daughter?" asked Spreewell.

"Let's hope not." said Spencer.

"You got other units en route?" asked Morgan as they headed towards the house.

"Yeah, two minutes out." said Spreewell.

"You and your boys take the back. We're going in the front." said Morgan.

Spencer pulled out his revolver, and a few seconds later Spreewell was checking a pulse as Spencer, Morgan, and JJ entered the house when they heard shouting.

"Shut up! I didn't ask you what you thought! Did I, Patricia?" asked Daniel.

"Patricia. He has them in there." said JJ.

At that moment Morgan and JJ were on either side of the door while Spencer and Spreewell stayed on the stairs.

"No, that's right, I did not. It helps me with my headaches. Aah! Unlike you right now. You leave mom out of this! When?! Huh?! Tell me! Tell me when! Tell me! Tell me!" shouted Danny.

At that moment Spencer realized that Patrica and her daughter were most likely dead when he didn't hear a reply as Morgan pounded on the door.

"Daniel Lee Stokes, this is the FBI. We just want to ask you a few questions, Daniel. Is that's OK?" said Morgan.

At that moment there was shooting through the door, causing Spencer and Spreewell to duck down.

"They can't keep you safe. That's my job." shouted Danny.

As soon as the shooting stopped, they heard Daniel speak some more before Spencer decided to speak everyone's suspicions.

"Who's he yelling at? I don't hear anyone else talking." said Spencer quietly.

"I love you! Can't you see that? I love you. Why can't you see that? All I ever tried to do was protect you. All I ever tried to do was protect you!" shouted Daniel.

"Daniel? Is that Patricia in there with you? You want to protect her? We can help you with that." said JJ.

"Who's there?" asked Daniel.

"She's with me. We're still out here, Daniel. Can you hear that? There's more of us coming, man." said Morgan.

At that moment there was more gunshots through the door causing Spencer and Spreewell to duck again.

"Stay back!" shouted Daniel.

"Ok, Daniel, if you have Patricia in there, you want to protect her? This is not the best way to do that." demanded JJ.

"How about Milena, Daniel, is she in there, too?" asked Morgan.

After a few more minutes of negations, Daniel finally surrendered and allowed Spencer, JJ, Morgan, and Spreewell into the apartment.

"Drop the weapon." ordered Morgan.

Daniel dropped the weapon, and as Morgan handcuffed him, JJ looked at Daniel.

"Where's Patricia and Milena?" asked JJ.

"Protect them, please." said Daniel.

"I can't protect them if you don't tell me where they are, Daniel." said JJ.

"Outside by the flowers." said Daniel.

At that moment Spencer headed outside and flagged a few CSI techs.

"Could you dig in that area back there." asked Spencer.

Techs started digging, and a few minutes later JJ found a possible spot.

"Hey, I need some shovels over here." said JJ.

A short while later Spencer and JJ were looking at the bodies of the mother and daughter, and Spencer decided to speak up.

"His mother must have helped him manage his illness, and after she was gone, it was only a matter of time before he went off his meds and unraveled completely." said Spencer as he thought about how his mom unraveled after his dad left.

"And I bet he blamed them for her murder. A stressor like that, it's no surprise he eventually snapped." said JJ.

"He didn't care about his other victims. Why did he take the time to bury those two?" asked Spreewell.

"It was probably before his psychotic break became full-blown." said Spencer.

"He knew them personally. He probably even cared about them." said JJ as Morgan brought Daniel past them.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer was looking at a picture of just his mom and him that was taken during his mother's birthday when Hotch sat down across from him, and as soon as Spencer looked up at Hotch, Hotch decided to address his youngest agent.

"You OK?" asked Hotch.

"It's just sad that the unsub ended up inheriting schizophrenia from his mom, and what happened to his mom led him to become a killer." said Spencer as he set the photo he was looking at on the table, "Luckily I dodged the bullet of becoming like my mom when I turned 30, and when Dr. Andrews did some research on his own I was relieved when I was told that I would only pass down Asperger's syndrome." said Spencer.

Hotch picked up the photo and couldn't help but smile a bit at the sight of Spencer having an arm protectively around his mom as they both grinned for the picture.

"I know that time was scary for you, but after you were set straight by doctors and me you didn't let your fears stop you from settling down and starting your own family." said Hotch.

"I know, but I know that even though my mom's been having more good days than bad days I know that there might be a time that she might need a new medication regime." said Spencer, not realizing that within the next couple of months his mother's health would be declining causing him, his dad, Olivia, and the kids to spend over a month in Vegas.

* * *

Spencer's teammates laughed when he finished telling them a funny story about Piper when the elevator door opened, revealing Garcia carrying a few boxes of pizzas.

"Oh, wait a minute. Pizza party?" asked Morgan.

"I have two pizzas and they've just been delivered, which means they're extra delicious." said Garcia.

"I smell mushrooms." said Spencer as he thought about one of his most favorite pizza toppings.

"Pepperoni. Those from Riggio's?" asked Rossi.

"Yes, they are. I thought you guys would be hungry upon your arrival." said Garcia.

"Ooh, no, thanks. The smell grosses me out." said Kate.

"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry. I had no idea." said Garcia as she tried to get the smell away from Kate.

"No worries. This pregnancy thing can be freaky." said Garcia.

"Ok, there's-there's something you're not telling us." said JJ.

"Yeah. I thought this would help you guys with all the extra work you have to do right now." said Garcia as she looked at Spencer, JJ, Hotch, and Kate who all had families to go home to.

"Whoa, whoa, what do you mean, extra work?" asked Morgan.

"What's going on?" asked Hotch.

"Cruz called. He wants all the case assessments for the congressional oversight meeting." said Garcia.

"I knew it." said a disappointed JJ.

"That meeting's not for another 3 weeks." said Rossi.

"Yeah, it was, until they moved it to Monday." said Garcia as she heard Kate, JJ, Hotch, and Spencer all sigh sadly since they couldn't get home to their kids, "But I have pizza. Not for you." said Garcia as she looked at Kate for the last part.

"All right, everyone. Let's settle in." said Hotch.

Spencer pulled out his phone to call Olivia as he headed to his desk.

"On your way home from LA yet?" asked Olivia.

"I'm back at Quantico right now, but now I have to stay much later than I planned." said Spencer as he explained what was going on, and when he was finished Olivia spoke up.

"It's OK Spencer, and I'm not even upset since Maeve and I are having a girls night with Piper, Ava, and Andrea at Maeve's right now while dad has one on one time with Albert." said Olivia.

"So you're staying at Maeve's tonight?" asked Spencer.

"Piper, Ava, and I are, so I will see you when I get home." said Olivia and exchanged love yous with Spencer before hanging up.

JJ looked at Spencer.

"Olivia's not home right now?" asked JJ.

"She, Piper, and Ava are having a sleepover at Maeve's while my dad gets to have quality time with Albert." said Spencer as he sent a quick text to his dad.

I'M BACK AT QUANTICO, BUT I HAVE TO STAY THE NIGHT SINCE MY TEAMMATES AND I HAVE TO GET CASE ASSESSMENTS DONE SINCE A MEETING THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN FOR ANOTHER THREE WEEKS GOT BUMPED UP. ~ SR

A minute later his phone vibrated.

IT'S OK SPENCER. ~ WR

* * *

A short while later Spencer was holding a piece of pizza as he talked.

"Although the observable universe is continually expanding, there's really no way of knowing if the whole thing is gonna ultimately collapse into one gargantuan black hole." said Spencer.

"Wow, there's actually something our little genius doesn't know." teased Morgan.

"I will tell you one thing for sure. My universe is expanding and it is pretty frickin' stormy." said Kate and Spencer glanced at her belly as he thought about when Olivia was pregnant with Piper and then Albert and Ava, "Gotta love nausea and vertigo."

"Which is why I got you these." said JJ as she handed Kate crackers and ginger ale.

"You're the best." said Kate as she checked her phone and frowned.

"What's up?" asked JJ.

At that moment Spencer looked at Kate.

"I'm not sure. It's Meg. Have a panic code, "pepper," and... I just got a text from her saying "pepp."" said Kate as she contacted Meg.

"Maybe it's just an accident?" asked JJ.

"Damn it. Straight to voice mail." said Kate.

"Meg still acting out?" Morgan.

Spencer, JJ, and Morgan listened in to Kate talking to Markayla's mom, and when Kate walked away Spencer headed straight to Hotch's office and told him what was going on.

A few minutes later Spencer was in the conference room with his teammates and Agent Canning.

"Because of our work, I created very strict rules for Meg. That stress code, it was given for a reason." said Kate.

"Canning, I just sent you the GPS coordinates of their last known position. Set up neighborhood canvasses and roadblocks." said Hotch.

"On it." said Canning.

"It's not good. I just got a shot of the girls, uh, from a video feed across the street from the library." said Garcia as she played footage.

"Oh, my God." said Kate.

Morgan noticed a plate.

"Baby girl, capture that plate right there." said Morgan.

"I already did. Searching." said Garcia.

"And look at the time stamp. I got Meg's text two minutes later." said Kate.

"Ok, plates are stolen and I've got no shot of the driver." said Garcia.

Hotch looked at Canning.

"Issue the AMBER Alert with the girls' pictures and the description of the van." said Hotch.

"Anything in the girls' email accounts?" asked Rossi.

"This is really discombobulated. I've got no text data or calls from the cell phone company servers for either of the girls." said Garcia.

"Ok, so whoever took them planned this and got rid of their texts." said Kate.

"We're still up in the air about M.O." said Morgan.

"Most likely scenario, she was lured via social networking." said Spencer as he made a mental note to ban Piper, Albert, and Ava from using social networking when they are old enough.

"I'll have Facebook push the AMBER Alert." said JJ.

"All right, JJ, you and Dave go to the Davises' and check out Markayla's computer." said Hotch before looking at Spencer and Morgan, "You two talk to friends. And Garcia and I will come to your house, Kate."

* * *

A short while later Spencer and Morgan were heading to one of Meg's and Markayla's friends house, and Spencer looked at Morgan.

"I'm definitely going to ban Piper, Albert, and Ava from using social media when they become teenagers, and as soon as Meg and Markayla are found I'm planning on educating the kids on stranger danger." said Spencer.

"That's probably a good idea, kid." said Morgan.

* * *

A short while later Spencer and Morgan were sitting with one of Meg's friend Sam's house with Sam and his parents.

"Sam, did Meg or Markayla ever mention talking to anyone new online?" asked Spencer.

"I'm not sure." said Sam.

"Sam, their lives may be in great danger. What do you know?" asked Morgan.

"Markayla met this really cute guy. He liked her Instagram pictures." said Sam.

"And when was this?" asked Morgan.

"A few months ago. She and Meg wouldn't stop talking about him. They emailed him every day." said Sam.

"You know his name?" asked Spencer as he realized that he wants to go against Olivia's wishes and build that moat and draw bridge.

"Bobby, I think. But I don't know his last name. Meg kept telling Markayla to slow down, but Markayla was head over heels. They both were." said Sam.

"You ever seen a picture of Bobby?" asked Morgan.

"They sent it to me. I erased my phone. But I may have saved it to the cloud." said Sam as he got up to grab his phone before Morgan sent the photo to Hotch.

* * *

Over an hour later Spencer was standing in the conference room with his teammates sans Kate.

"Go ahead, Kate." said Hotch.

At that moment Kate's bedroom showed on the screen, causing Spencer to think back to when he was conferencing in with his teammates after getting shot in the neck.

"After we closed the Riverside torso case, I couldn't let it go, so I revisited the crime scenes and starting asking questions." said Kate.

"Aaron, you looked at that case, too, and the evidence indicated the torso killer was working alone." said Rossi.

"Kate's working a different tangent." said Hotch.

"I also kept tabs on missing women. There was a female jogger in Modesto, Eileen Banks, categorized as voluntary missing, but oddly killed in a car accident a few weeks later all the way in Maryland. She was never autopsied." said Kate.

"How is that related to this?" asked Canning.

"She had been flirting on line with a young new boyfriend before she ran off, but it was the same Bobby in that picture from Sam. It must have been the same group that took the girls." said Kate.

"If this is related to that case, then these abductors are mobile." said Morgan.

"We'll get an emergency warrant, we'll exhume the jogger's body and do an autopsy." said Hotch.

"I'll expedite it with judge Lynch." said Canning.

"They were taken because of me. I was getting close." said Kate.

"You were doing your job, Kate." said Rossi.

"The unsub knew that grabbing an FBI agent's daughter would bring a firestorm down upon him." said Spencer as he thought about Piper and Ava.

"He's an extreme risk-taker." said JJ.

"Ok, I got the 411 on this Bobby photo. It originated 6 years ago. Guy's name is Sven Sorensen, from Sweden. He's now 25. He still lives in Europe." said Garcia.

"They used the picture to lure the girls." said Kate.

"Whoever did this is most likely not a pedophile, but rather a preferential adult offender and long-term child abductor." said Spencer.

"But he targeted the girls." said JJ.

"Yeah, because I was targeting him." said Kate.

* * *

"Not only did they wipe the girls' devices clean, they went after Kate because she was digging into missing persons cases." said Spencer.

"Because Kate was onto something." said JJ.

"Yeah, this isn't some loner who wants to keep girls in a dungeon. This feels like trafficking." said Morgan.

"That's the worst-case scenario." said Canning.

"Well, if it is trafficking, the upside is we've got a better chance of finding the girls alive." said Hotch.

"Yeah, but if they don't comply, they'll be beaten into submission or killed if they try to escape." said Rossi.

* * *

A few hours later Spencer was helping his teammates give the profile.

"Meg Callahan has been abducted by a sophisticated sex trafficking ring." started Hotch.

"It's a mobile operation. That's why it's gone undetected for so long." said Canning.

"A broker leads the ring with a male accomplice and a female accomplice." said Morgan.

"They find victims and tailor their abduction plan to each of their vulnerabilities." said Spencer.

"And then the victims are sold, most likely online to buyers who've been vetted by their team." said Hotch.

"If it's trafficking, couldn't the girl be on a ship to Saudi Arabia by now?" asked Agent Rush.

"Well, we're hoping they lay low until the searchers are called off. A male accomplice was shot dead by the broker, suggesting infighting and tension." said Morgan.

"This could give us an opening. We'll continue going door to door." said Canning.

"As you all know, Meg is part of this family. We do not rest until she's home safely. Thank you." finished Hotch.

* * *

"Ok, here's my news flash. In the tri-state area, there have been half a dozen questionable missing persons cases." said Garcia.

"Try the whole country." said Rossi.

"All right, uh, California to Maine, there have been 50 in the last 7 years." said Garcia.

"That can't all be this unsub's group, can it?" asked Rossi.

"My thoughts, exactamundo, good sir. Ok, uh, there were two accidental deaths that happened at the same time but 2,500 miles apart." said Garcia as she looked at Spencer who was looking at her laptop screen.

"If they're trafficking girls, why would they kill them?" asked JJ.

"All with different M.O.s, too. Car accident, fire, shooting, drowning. And this isn't just one group. They're different killers." said Morgan.

"So there must be a serial abductor and the torso killer was just one of his customers." said Spencer.

"What the hell kind of trafficking is this?" asked Canning.

"This isn't sex slavery. They're selling victims to serial killers." said Hotch.

* * *

"The operation's actually simple. The killers get to live out their fantasies, and in exchange for supplying the victims, the brokers make them agree to a disposal method." said Hotch.

"This way he and his team are insulated from the investigation." said Rossi.

"Just like in the torso case, the behavior and forensics of the kills will only lead us to the customer who actually did the killing, not the broker." said Spencer.

"He's smart enough to protect his network by encrypting all communication with his customers." said JJ.

"So if we can capture a killer while he's online, then Garcia can hack his system and lead us right to Meg." said Morgan.

"Just say the word." said Garcia.

"Garcia, the accident that killed the jogger in Modesto, Eileen Banks, who hit her?" asked Hotch.

Garcia did some typing.

"Uh, Marcus Townsend hit the car over the embankment. He was admitted for minor injuries and then released." said Garcia.

"What's his background?" asked Canning.

"Uh, searching. Holy heck, his license, registration, and insurance are all bogus." said Garcia.

"Well, if it was a car crash, they would have checked his blood alcohol level at the hospital." said JJ.

"Garcia, run the DNA of that blood sample through CODIS." said Morgan.

Garcia checked.

"Ok, he's on a sex offender registry. His real name is Miles Hendrick. He started off stalking a neighbor's kid and got busted in the elementary school bathroom." said Garcia.

"Now he's graduated to this. Where does he live now?" asked Rossi.

"Largo, Maryland." said Garcia.

"Let's go." said Hotch.

* * *

Over an hour later Spencer headed into Garcia's lair with Hotch.

"They just arrested Miles Hendrick. They've got his computer. We need you to break in." said Hotch as he and Spencer stood behind Garcia.

"What's his IP address?" asked Garcia.

"Morgan just sent it to your email." said Spencer.

"Cool, I got it. Ok, I am in his hard drive. His browser history is triple encrypted. He's on Tor. Ok, this is like trying to penetrate a ceramic-infused titanium wall with a butter knife. It's not happening." said Garcia.

"We need to break Miles before Meg's sold off." said Spencer.

At that moment Hotch and Spencer exchanged glances.

* * *

"I got Miles' password." said Garcia.

"All right, find the website." said Hotch.

"On it, and..." said Garcia causing her, Spencer, and Hotch to see faces of teenagers and women, "Sweet mother gross. It's like Tinder for sociopaths." said Garcia as she scrolled down the page.

"They're selling women all over the country." said Spencer as he tried to find Meg's face.

"Do you see Meg anywhere?" asked Hotch.

A few seconds later Spencer was able to recognize Meg's eyes and face despite her hair color being changed.

"Wait, wait, wait. Go back." said Spencer, causing Garcia to follow his instructions, "That's her. He dyed her hair."

"She has been sold." said Garcia.

"Can you tell to whom?" asked Hotch as he realized that he was glad to have Spencer in the room since he's able to recognize faces instantly.

"Um...No, 'cause the firewall's worse than the other one and I'm upset and I need help focusing." said Garcia.

"What about the IP address? That should lead us back to the broker." said Hotch.

"Yes, yes, very good, sir. Uh...There it is. His name's Alex Zorgen. He's in Oakton, Virginia, and he's on his computer right now." said Garcia.

Hotch left the room, and Spencer looked at Garcia.

"Would helping plan Albert and Ava's birthday party help distract you?" asked Spencer.

"I just can't believe that they're turning two on the 29th and Piper will be three on the 17th next month." sighed Garcia.

"Me neither, and when the kids are old enough to go online I will need your help when it comes to the internet." said Spencer.

"I'm already planning on it." said Garcia.

* * *

Spencer looked at Paige as he and JJ questioned her.

"You're lying, Paige. We already found 3 girls hidden in your basement. Add that to the rest of the murders, you're gonna be in prison till the day you die." said Spencer.

At that moment Paige turned.

"Why are you protecting him? 'Cause you know he is over there right now selling you out, making it seem like this was all your idea." said JJ.

"That's what psychopaths do, Paige. They play people. All right, let us help you out and tell us where Meg is." said Spencer.

* * *

While Morgan, JJ, and Rossi went to rescue Meg, Spencer listened to Paige give him names of people who were on the site.

"Michael Rigby. Kevin Hawkins." said Paige.

* * *

Spencer came into the bullpen to pack up and go home only to see JJ pulling out saltine crackers and ginger ale for herself.

"Not you, too. Am I getting another godson?" asked Spencer.

"Possibly." said JJ as she saw Spencer smile, "Maybe a goddaughter who would love to play with Piper and Ava."

Spencer pulled JJ into a hug.

"So how far are you?" asked Spencer.

"The baby is due in early September, and Hotch already knows, and he already gave me a lecture about waiting this long to tell him due to the case we just had in LA." said JJ.

"That was very risky." said Spencer.

"I know, and I'm now on light duty." said JJ.

Spencer looked at the clock before looking at JJ.

"Well I'm going to head home since I really need to hug my kids while begging Olivia to have a sleepover with the kids since I need to keep them close." said Spencer.

* * *

The next night Spencer and Olivia were having a camp out in the living room with the kids, and Olivia ended up taking a picture of how all three toddlers were either on top of Spencer or curled into his side.

* * *

A/N: Only one more chapter until I start the sequel.


	56. Epilogue

_Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds._

 _A/N: Shout out to OhSnapItsMadison and Astrahan for reviewing chapter 55._

 _Sorry that this chapter is short, but I decided to combine the last two chapters, so this is the last chapter until the sequel, and here's a warning that there's some foreshadowing for the sequel since I don't think that having Diana starting to show signs of Alzheimer's and Dementia during June of 2015 would be too soon if I have her get diagnosed in November of 2015._

* * *

Olivia exited Victoria's Secret with JJ and Garcia, and Garcia looked at Olivia.

"Hopefully what JJ and I just convinced you to buy will help you and Boy Wonder create baby number four." said Garcia as she looked at JJ's now growing belly, "And hopefully you find out the gender tomorrow so I can start baby shopping after the twins birthday party." said Garcia

JJ groaned as Olivia looked at JJ.

"I was planning on giving you what Albert and Ava grow out of as soon as you find out the gender." said Olivia.

"That would be nice instead of you and Spence spending a lot of money on this baby." said JJ as she rested a hand on her growing belly.

* * *

The next day Spencer was putting breakfast on the table when Olivia and William came into the kitchen with Albert and Ava.

"Happy birthday guys." said Spencer as he gave his two youngest each a kiss.

"I two now?" asked Albert.

Spencer smiled at his two youngest.

"Both you and Ava are two years old." said Spencer as he placed Piper's plate filled with blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs in front of her, "Want to tell your brother and sister something?"

Piper looked at her little brother and sister.

"Happy birtday Albert and Ava." grinned Piper.

"Tank you Iper." said Albert.

"Tank you Iper." said Ava.

* * *

Spencer grinned down at his two youngest who were looking at the lit candles after "Happy Birthday" was sung, and after Albert and Ava tried to make a few attempts, Spencer decided to help them.

A few minutes later Spencer was eating his piece of cake while he watched Piper, Albert, and Ava eat their pieces of cake when Morgan approached him.

"I was hoping that Albert and Ava could have a sleepover with Savannah and me tonight." said Morgan

Spencer glanced at Olivia who was talking to JJ.

"I guess you and Savannah can take the twins tonight." said Spencer right as Olivia came over.

"JJ asked if she and Will could take Piper for the night so they can start getting used to two kids." said Olivia.

"Seems like we're having a childless night since Morgan and Savannah are taking the twins in tonight." said Spencer just as William approached them.

"Rossi invited me over to his mansion tonight since he's having a poker game with some of his friends, and he offered me a guest bedroom." said William.

"His friends weren't happy to find out that I'm from Las Vegas and a math genius when I joined in on a few games when I was recovering from getting shot in the knee." smirked Spencer before exchanging glances with Olivia as he realized what his teammates were doing for him and Olivia.

At that moment JJ looked at Spencer and Olivia.

"Mind if I share the news about my baby?" asked JJ as she rested her hands on her five month pregnant belly.

"You found out the gender?" asked an excited Garcia.

"We sure did, and we're having another son." beamed Will.

"I was right about you having a boy." said Spencer as he hugged JJ.

JJ looked at Spencer and Garcia.

"You two are going to be godparents." said JJ.

"I will be honored." said Spencer as Garcia hugged JJ.

* * *

Four hours later Spencer and Olivia were making chicken stir fry together while dancing around the kitchen, and when they were sitting at the dining room table Olivia looked at her husband.

"Just so you know I stopped taking my birth control a few nights ago." said Olivia.

"So you're ready to try for one more?" asked Spencer.

"With the twins now being two and JJ being pregnant, I'm seriously having baby fever. And when JJ and Garcia helped me go shopping for the twins birthday party, they convinced me to buy you something extra special that you will get to see after you clean up from dinner." said Olivia as she winked at her husband.

Spencer felt his jeans start to tighten causing him to eat faster just as Olivia decided to get up and sit down on her husband's lap and straddle him.

"Slow down cowboy since have all night due to it being just the two of us in this house." teased Olivia.

A few minutes later Spencer was cleaning up the kitchen and doing dishes while trying to ignore the feeling of his pants getting tighter.

10 minutes later he was in the master bedroom, and he noticed Olivia wearing her light blue robe. As soon as Olivia removed her robe, Spencer groaned when he saw his wife of over three and a half years wearing a light blue silk teddy causing his body to start reacting even more.

"I see that mentioning the surprise has already turned you on, and now your body is reacting even more." said a smirking Olivia as she made her way to her husband and led him to the bed. A minute later Olivia was straddling her husband while she removed his shirt before Spencer pulled her into a heated kiss to start off their love making session.

Little did they know, their events of celebrating having the house to themselves for a night caused them to create a new life that would help bring them something good to smile about in the upcoming months.

* * *

Three weeks later Spencer entered his oldest daughter's bedroom and smiled when he saw Piper waking up.

"Good morning Piper." said Spencer as he kissed his three year old daughter's cheek before sitting on her bed.

"You work today?" asked Piper as she climbed into her daddy's lap.

"I took the day off because of it being a special day." said Spencer.

"Why is today special?" asked Piper.

"Three years ago today I held you for the very first time since you were born on June 17th of 2012." said Spencer.

"It's my birthday?" asked Piper.

"You're three years old." said Spencer as he held up three fingers.

"Yay." said Piper.

"What do you want to do this afternoon when we have our daddy/daughter date today?" asked Spencer as he carried Piper to the bathroom and set her on the toilet.

"See uncle Aaron and auntie JJ." said Piper.

"I think us visiting the BAU can be arranged." said Spencer.

A few minutes later Spencer was getting Piper dressed for the day when Piper's stomach growled.

"What do you want for breakfast, birthday girl?" asked Spencer.

"Pancakes with strawberries and whip cream please." said Piper.

"As you wish, birthday girl." said Spencer as he started braiding Piper's mid back length hair into two french braids before he took her downstairs where William and Olivia were getting Albert and Ava into their booster seats, "Here's the birthday girl."

"Happy birthday sweet pea." said Olivia as she kissed her three year old daughter's cheek before William greeted his oldest granddaughter just as Spencer started making breakfast.

"Pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream?" asked Olivia as she eyed the can of whipped cream.

"Piper asked me." said Spencer as he started making pancake batter from scratch, causing Olivia to start prepping the strawberries.

20 minutes later the three generations of Reids were eating their strawberry pancakes with whipped cream.

* * *

Six hours later Spencer was walking into the BAU while holding Piper's hand, and Spencer smiled when he saw JJ and Garcia talking at JJ's desk.

"Go to auntie JJ and auntie Penny." whispered Spencer.

Piper let go of her daddy's hand and sprinted towards JJ and Garcia.

"Auntie JJ. Auntie Penny." said Piper.

Garcia and JJ stopped talking and turned their heads when they saw Piper sprinting towards them.

"Well look at you, birthday girl." said Garcia a she scooped up Piper.

"I'm three now." said Piper.

"Happy birthday, Piper." said JJ as she looked at her goddaughter as Spencer reached them just as Hotch was coming down the stairs.

"I told you to stay away from here today, Reid." said Hotch.

Garcia let Piper down, and Piper ran to her godfather who eagerly scooped her up.

"Happy birthday Piper." said Hotch as he kissed his goddaughter's cheek.

"I ask daddy to bring me to see you." said Piper.

"Then I'm glad that you wanted to come visit me on your daddy's day off." said Hotch.

Garcia looked at Spencer.

"Piper's hair is really cute today." said Garcia as she took in the sight of Piper's french braids.

"Daddy did my hair." said Piper.

"Pretty boy's now a hair stylist?" asked a teasing Morgan as he stepped forward.

Piper glared at Morgan before blowing a raspberry, causing some laughter.

"I like it when daddy do my hair." said Piper.

"A lot of fathers learn how to style hair when it comes to their daughters, Derek, and you will understand someday if you and Savannah have a daughter." said Garcia before looking at Spencer, "You did a wonderful job with Piper's hair, sweet cheeks."

"Thanks." said Spencer.

At that moment Rossi came forward.

"Now there's the birthday girl." said Rossi as he kissed Piper on both cheeks, "Where are my favorite twins?"

"Dad's bonding with Albert this afternoon while Olivia's at occupational therapy with Ava." said Spencer.

At that moment Piper yawned, causing Hotch to pass his goddaughter back to her father.

"I think that it's nap time for someone." said Spencer as he collected his oldest daughter from Hotch and settled her onto his hip.

Spencer said goodbye to his teammates and left the BAU with Piper, and when he reached the elevators, Cruz who was walking by, stopped.

"I thought that you had the day off today, Dr. Reid?" asked Cruz as he took in the sight of Spencer's oldest daughter on a casually dressed Spencer's hip.

At that moment Piper became more alert and looked at her daddy.

"Who is he?" asked Piper.

"This is my section chief Mateo Cruz." said Spencer before looking at his section chief, "This is Piper my oldest daughter, and she just turned three today."

Cruz smiled slightly at Piper.

"Your daddy has told me a lot about you, and happy birthday Piper." said Cruz.

"Thank you." said Piper.

"You two heading home now?" asked Cruz.

"It's nap time for Piper, and this Saturday we're having her birthday party." said Spencer.

At that moment Piper looked up at her daddy.

"Can we please go get some ice cream?" asked Piper as she used her puppy dog eyes while pouting at her daddy.

Cruz couldn't help but smile as he watched Spencer think about his oldest daughter's request.

"Let's go get you some ice cream before we head home birthday girl." said Spencer as he tickled the three year old's belly, causing her to giggle, "Nice seeing you again, Chief Cruz."

"I'm glad that I finally got to meet one of your kids, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day off Dr. Reid." said Cruz as Spencer pushed the down button for the elevator.

"You too." said Spencer just as the door opened and he stepped inside with Piper.

* * *

Two hours later Spencer and William were moving furniture in Piper's bedroom before they worked on putting Ava's twin sized bed together, and when they had Ava's bed made Olivia brought Piper and Ava into the girls bedroom.

"My big girl bed?" asked Ava as she used the step stool to climb onto her bed that contained guard rails.

"Yes." said Olivia before looking at Piper, "You excited about sharing your bedroom with Ava?"

"Yes mommy." said Piper before looking at her daddy, "Can we call grandma?"

"I can." said Spencer as he pulled out his cellphone.

20 seconds later Spencer was hearing Nurse Elizabeth's voice.

"Hi there, Dr. Reid." said Nurse Elizabeth.

"Piper wants to talk to her grandma, and I'm wondering if she's having a good day." said Spencer.

Nurse Elizabeth thought about how Diana freaked out a bit when she didn't remember it being Piper's third birthday, causing her to get agitated before being given a mild sedative.

"She's been having a bad day today, and she has been becoming more confused and agitated these past few days." said Nurse Elizabeth sadly.

Olivia noticed her husband's face saddening a bit, causing her to rest a hand on his arm.

"I will try again tomorrow, but if her medication isn't helping her anymore Dr. Jesson has my permission to try a new medication regimen." said Spencer.

"Dr. Jesson was already planning on starting your mom on new medication tonight, and you tell Piper that her grandma's favorite nurse wishes her a happy birthday while I will let you know how your mom's doing tomorrow." said Nurse Elizabeth as she looked at Diana, who was sleeping in her bed.

"Thanks Nurse Elizabeth." said Spencer before hanging up and William looked at his son.

"Is Diana OK?" asked William.

"She has been having a few bad days, and Dr. Jesson's starting her on new medication tonight." said Spencer before looking at Piper, "We will try and talk to grandma again tomorrow." said Spencer as he hugged his three year old daughter.

"OK daddy." said Piper as she rested a hand on her daddy's cheek.

* * *

Two days later Spencer called Nurse Elizabeth, and a few seconds later he heard her voice.

"I was just about to call you since your mom's having a good day and asked if she could wish Piper a happy birthday." said Nurse Elizabeth as she passed her favorite patient her phone, "Your son's on the phone right now, Diana."

"Spencer?" asked Diana.

"Hi mom." said Spencer.

"Could I talk to the birthday girl since I didn't get to talk to Piper two days ago?" asked Diana as she thought about how upset she was when she forgot that it was Piper's birthday making her think that one of her worst fears was coming true about forgetting the people she loves.

"She's by me and so are Albert and Ava." said Spencer as he put his phone on speaker.

"Hi grandma." said Piper.

"Hello there, Piper." said Diana.

"I turn three two days ago." said Piper.

"I know, and did you have a party yet?" asked Diana.

"We're waiting until tomorrow." said Spencer before looking at Piper, "You want to thank grandma for your gift?"

"Thank you for the new book." said Piper.

"You're welcome." said Diana.

At that moment Piper ran off to play with Einstein, and Spencer looked at Albert and Ava.

"Say hi to grandma guys." said Spencer.

"Hi Nana." said Albert.

"Hello Albert." said Diana.

"Hi Nana." said Ava.

"Hi there Ava." said Diana

At that moment both Albert and Ava yawned and Spencer spoke up.

"Well I am going to put Albert and Ava down for a nap, and I will try and call you tomorrow mom." said Spencer.

"I love you, Spencer." said Diana.

"Love you too, mom." said Spencer before hanging up.

* * *

The following afternoon Piper was sitting at the dining room table with a birthday cake sitting right in front of her as "Happy Birthday" was being sung by everyone, and when the song was over Piper successfully blew out the three candles while everyone clapped and cheered.

* * *

Meanwhile three adults and one baby not seen by anyone were standing in the backyard, and Gideon who was holding a would be five month old Taylor Reid, looked at Piper and Albert Hartford.

"At least Spencer and Olivia will be surprised in a couple of weeks." said Gideon as he tickled the baby girl's tummy, causing Taylor to giggle.

"My daughter's only a week pregnant right now, and when they find out in a couple of weeks they will realize that Taylor helped pick out her would be sibling." said Piper as she watched her oldest granddaughter kiss her daddy on the cheek causing, Spencer's cheek to be covered with frosting as everyone laughed.

"I know, but I'm glad that I got to spend two and a half years watching Spencer be a father." said Gideon.

At that moment Piper, Albert, Gideon, and Taylor watched William take a picture of Spencer, Olivia, Piper, Albert, and Ava who were all smiling for the picture.

~The End~

* * *

 _A/N: That's it until the upcoming sequel Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Four. I want to thank everyone who took the time to read, favorite, follow, and review this story so I hope that you readers will read the upcoming sequel._

 _I'm going to take a short break from writing since I have to really start packing up my bedroom since I'm moving back to the city where I spent the first 19 and a half years of my life._

 _So this is the summary you need to look out for when I finally get to the sequel._

 _Sequel to LTATPB1, LTATPB2, and LTATPB3. Spencer's and Olivia's family of five grow to six, and while their family grows they have to deal with a few bumps in the road while knowing that they will get through everything together. Takes place during seasons 11 to halfway to season 12._


	57. Sequel Now Up

Chapter 1 of Love Takes Away the Pain: Book Four has been posted.


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